Shecaniah’s Encouragement 1 DBY And while Ezra prayed, and made confession, weeping and falling down before the house of God, there were gathered to him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children; for the people wept very much. BSB BSB: While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.
2 DBY And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have acted unfaithfully toward our God, and have taken foreign wives of the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. BSB BSB: Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.
3 DBY And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandments of our God; and let it be done according to the law. BSB BSB: So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.
4 DBY Arise, for this matter is incumbent on thee, and we will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it . BSB BSB: Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we will support you. Be strong and take action!”
5 DBY Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, of the Levites, and of all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. And they swore. BSB BSB: So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. And they took the oath.
The People’s Confession of Sin 6 DBY And Ezra arose from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he ate no bread and drank no water; for he mourned because of the unfaithfulness of them that had been carried away. BSB BSB: Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. And while he stayed there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 DBY And they made proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; BSB BSB: And a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem.
8 DBY and that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be confiscated, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. BSB BSB: Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9 DBY Then were all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open space of the house of God, trembling because of the matter, and because of the pouring rain. BSB BSB: So within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem, and on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling regarding this matter and because of the heavy rain.
10 DBY And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, Ye have acted unfaithfully, and have taken foreign wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. BSB BSB: Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.
11 DBY And now make confession to Jehovah the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign wives. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
12 DBY And the whole congregation answered and said with a loud voice, Yes, it is for us to do according to thy words. BSB BSB: And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we must do as you say!
13 DBY But the people are many, and it is a time of pouring rain, and it is not possible to stand without: neither is this a work for one day or two; for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. BSB BSB: But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 DBY Let now our princes, while this matter is going on, stand for all the congregation, and let all those that have taken foreign wives in our cities come at the appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce anger of our God be turned from us. BSB BSB: Let our leaders represent the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at an appointed time, together with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.”
15 DBY Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. BSB BSB: (Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)
16 DBY And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest and certain of the chief fathers were separated according to their fathers' houses, and all of them expressed by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. BSB BSB: So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,
17 DBY And they ended with all the men that had taken foreign wives by the first day of the first month. BSB BSB: and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage 18 DBY And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. BSB BSB: Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 DBY And they gave their hand to send away their wives; and they offered a ram of the flock, as trespass-offering for their guilt. BSB BSB: They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.
20 DBY And of the children of Immer: Hanani, and Zebadiah. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 DBY And of the children of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 DBY And of the children of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 DBY And of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. BSB BSB: Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 DBY And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the doorkeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. BSB BSB: From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 DBY And of Israel; of the children of Parosh: Ramiah, and Jizzijah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. BSB BSB: And among the other Israelites, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 DBY And of the children of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 DBY And of the children of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 DBY And of the children of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 DBY And of the children of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 DBY And of the children of Pahath-Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 DBY And the children of Harim: Eliezer, Jishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, BSB BSB: From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 DBY Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah. BSB BSB: Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 DBY Of the children of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei. BSB BSB: From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 DBY Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, BSB BSB: From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 DBY Benaiah, Bediah, Cheluhu, BSB BSB: Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 DBY Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, BSB BSB: Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 DBY Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai, BSB BSB: Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 DBY and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, BSB BSB: From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
39 DBY and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, BSB BSB: Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 DBY Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai, BSB BSB: Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 DBY Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, BSB BSB: Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 DBY Shallum, Amariah, Joseph. BSB BSB: Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 DBY Of the children of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, Benaiah. BSB BSB: And from the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 DBY All these had taken foreign wives; and there were among them wives who had had children. BSB BSB: All these men had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.