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Ezra 10
New International Reader's Version
Ezra 10
New International Reader's Version
The People Admit They Have Sinned
10 Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was weeping and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd of Israelites gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too wept bitterly. 2 Shekaniah spoke to Ezra. Shekaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shekaniah said, “We haven’t been faithful to our God. We’ve married women from the nations around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel. 3 So let’s make a covenant in front of our God. Let’s promise to send away all these women and their children. That’s what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God’s commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says. 4 Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it.”
5 So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all the Israelites make a promise. He made them promise they would do what Shekaniah had suggested. And they made that promise. 6 Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan’s room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn’t eat any food. He didn’t drink any water. That’s because he was filled with sadness. He mourned because the people weren’t faithful to the Lord’s commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from the land of Babylon.
7 Then an announcement was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. All the people who had returned were told to gather together in Jerusalem. 8 They were supposed to come there before three days had passed. If they didn’t, they would lose all their property. They would also be removed from the community of those who had returned. That’s what the officials and elders had decided.
9 Before the three days were over, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered together in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the ninth month. They were sitting in the open area in front of the house of God. They were very upset by what they knew would happen. And they were upset because it was raining. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up. He said, “You haven’t been faithful to the Lord. You have married women from other lands. So you have added to Israel’s guilt. 11 Now honor the Lord, the God of your people. Then do what he wants you to do. Separate yourselves from the nations around you. Send away your wives from other lands.”
12 The whole community answered with a loud voice. They said, “You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are a lot of people here. And it’s the rainy season. So we can’t stand outside. Besides, this matter can’t be taken care of in just a day or two. That’s because we have sinned terribly by what we’ve done. 14 Our officials can act for the whole community. Have everyone in our towns who has married a woman from another land come at a certain time. Tell them to come together with the elders and judges of each town. Then our God will no longer be angry with us concerning this whole matter.” 15 Only a few men opposed that. They included Jonathan and Jahzeiah. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite joined them. Jonathan was the son of Asahel. Jahzeiah was the son of Tikvah.
16 So those who had returned did what had been suggested. Ezra the priest chose some family leaders. There was one from each family group. All of them were chosen by name. They sat down to check out each case. They started on the first day of the tenth month. 17 By the first day of the first month they were finished. They had handled all the cases of the men who had married women from other lands.
A List of Those Who Had Married Women From Other Lands
18 Among the family lines of the priests, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah
came from the family line of Joshua and his brothers. Joshua was the son of Jozadak. 19 All of them made a firm promise to send their wives away. Each of these men brought a ram from his flock as a guilt offering.
20 Hanani and Zebadiah
came from the family line of Immer.
21 Maaseiah and Elijah
came from the family line of Harim. So did Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22 Elioenai, Maaseiah and Ishmael
came from the family line of Pashhur. So did Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
There were Jozabad, Shimei and Kelaiah. There were also Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. Kelaiah’s other name was Kelita.
24 Eliashib
came from the musicians.
Shallum, Telem and Uri
came from the men who guarded the temple gates.
25 Among the other Israelites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah and Mijamin
came from the family line of Parosh. So did Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26 Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel
came from the family line of Elam. So did Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27 Elioenai, Eliashib and Mattaniah
came from the family line of Zattu. So did Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28 Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai
came from the family line of Bebai.
29 Meshullam, Malluk and Adaiah
came from the family line of Bani. So did Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30 Adna, Kelal, Benaiah and Maaseiah
came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. So did Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31 Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah and Shimeon
came from the family line of Harim. 32 So did Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33 Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad and Eliphelet
came from the family line of Hashum. So did Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34 Maadai, Amram and Uel
came from the family line of Bani. 35 So did Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38 Shimei
came from the family line of Binnui. 39 So did Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad and Zebina
came from the family line of Nebo. So did Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44 All these men had married women from other lands. Some of them had even had children by those wives.
Ezra 10
New International Version
Ezra 10
New International Version
The People’s Confession of Sin
10 While Ezra was praying and confessing,(A) weeping(B) and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam,(C) said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful(D) to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.(E) 3 Now let us make a covenant(F) before our God to send away(G) all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
5 So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath(H) to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water,(I) because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9 Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin(J) had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10 Then Ezra(K) the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt.(L) 11 Now honor[a] the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”(M)
12 The whole assembly responded with a loud voice:(N) “You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14 Let our officials act for 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(O) of each town, until the fierce anger(P) of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai(Q) the Levite, opposed this.
16 So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17 and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
18 Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:(R)
From the descendants of Joshua(S) son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 (They all gave their hands(T) in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)(U)
20 From the descendants of Immer:(V)
Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 From the descendants of Harim:(W)
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22 From the descendants of Pashhur:(X)
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Among the Levites:(Y)
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 From the musicians:
Eliashib.(Z)
From the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25 And among the other Israelites:
From the descendants of Parosh:(AA)
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26 From the descendants of Elam:(AB)
Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27 From the descendants of Zattu:
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28 From the descendants of Bebai:
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29 From the descendants of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab:
Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31 From the descendants of Harim:
Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33 From the descendants of Hashum:
Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34 From the descendants of Bani:
Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38 From the descendants of Binnui:[b]
Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 From the descendants of Nebo:
Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.[c]
Footnotes
- Ezra 10:11 Or Now make confession to
- Ezra 10:38 See Septuagint (also 1 Esdras 9:34); Hebrew Jaasu 38 and Bani and Binnui,
- Ezra 10:44 Or and they sent them away with their children
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.