Ezra 10 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
While Ezra was praying and weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very large crowd of Israelites — men, women, and children — gathered around him. The people were also weeping bitterly.
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, "We have with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. But even now, there is still for Israel despite this."
"Let's make a now with our God to send away all these wives and their children, following the counsel of my lord and of those who at the of our God. Let it be done according to the law."
"Get up — this is your responsibility. We're behind you. Be and take action."
So Ezra stood up and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an that they would do what had been proposed. And they took the
Then Ezra left the front of the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he didn't eat food or drink water because he was still over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
Then a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the returned exiles to gather in Jerusalem.
Anyone who did not come within three days — as the officials and elders had decided — would have all their property confiscated and would be from the community of the returned exiles.
Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the All the people sat in the open square in front of the house of God, — both because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have broken faith and married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt."
"Now make a to Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, and do what he wants. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives."
The whole assembly answered with a loud voice: "Yes! We must do what you say!"
"But there are a lot of people here, and it's the rainy season. We can't stand outside. Besides, this isn't a one- or two-day task — we've really gone far in breaking this command."
"Let our officials represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until our God's over this matter is turned away from us."
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
So the returned exiles did it this way. Ezra the priest selected men who were family leaders, one for each family division, all identified by name. They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.
By the first day of the first month, they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Among the descendants of the priests, these were found to have married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they each offered a ram from the flock as an for their
From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
And among the rest of Israel — from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.
From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.
From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu,
and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
and Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
All of these had married foreign women, and some of them had wives by whom they had