The Book of Ezra

Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.

And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God, and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

"So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

"Arise! For [this] matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act."

Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.

Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread, nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem,

and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square [before] the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.

"Now, therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives."

Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.

"But there are many people, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor [can] the task [be done] in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.

"Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us."

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men [who were] heads of fathers' [households] for [each of] their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.

And they finished [investigating] all the men who had married foreign wives by the first of the first month.

And among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And they pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, [they offered] a ram of the flock for their offense.

And of the sons of Immer [there were] Hanani and Zebadiah;

and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah;

and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

And of Levites [there were] Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

And of the singers [there was] Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

And of Israel, of the sons of Parosh [there were] Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;

and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah;

and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;

and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, [and] Athlai;

and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, [and] Jeremoth;

and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;

and [of] the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Benjamin, Malluch, [and] Shemariah;

of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, [and] Shimei;

of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,

Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Shallum, Amariah, [and] Joseph.

Of the sons of Nebo [there were] Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, [and] Benaiah.

All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives [by whom] they had children.