Ezra 10:1–8

Confession of Improper Marriages

10Now ^awhile Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down ^bbefore the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very ^cbitterly. ²And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have ^dtrespassed ¹against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. ³Now therefore, let us make ^ea covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who ^ftremble at ^gthe commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the ^hlaw. ⁴Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. ⁱBe of good courage, and do it.”

⁵Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel ^jswear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. ⁶Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ^kate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.

⁷And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, ⁸and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.