Ezra 10
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 10
The People’s Response. 1 While Ezra was praying and acknowledging their guilt as he wept and prostrated himself in front of the temple of God, a vast assemblage of men, women, and children gathered around him as the people wept profusely. 2 Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of this land. However, in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Let us now make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commandments of our God. Let it be done in accordance with the law.[a] 4 Rise up, then, for the matter is in your hands. We will support you. Therefore, have courage and take action!”
5 Then Ezra rose to his feet and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been said. In unison they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra departed from his place before the house of God and entered the room of Jehohanan, the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night without eating food or drinking water, because he was in mourning over the betrayal by the exiles.
7 A proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all of the exiles were to assemble in Jerusalem, 8 and that those who failed to appear within three days, as specified by the officials and the elders, would forfeit their property and be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together in Jerusalem three days later, on the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat down in the open square before the house of God, greatly distressed because of the matter at hand and because they had no shelter from the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them: “You have been unfaithful in marrying foreign wives, thus adding to Israel’s guilt. 11 Now confess to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from foreign women.”
12 Then all those who had assembled replied loudly, saying in unison: “We shall do as you say. 13 However, there are many people here; it is the rainy season, and we cannot stay out in the open. Besides, this is something that cannot be resolved in one or two days, since those of us who have sinned in this regard comprise a vast number.
14 “Therefore, permit our officials to represent the entire community, and let all those in our towns who have married foreign wives present themselves at designated times, accompanied by the elders and the judges for each town, until the fierce anger of our God at what has occurred has been turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, the son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levites, opposed this proposal.[b]
16 The Guilty. The exiles did as had been proposed, while Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, representing their families, each of them designated by name. They met in sessions to examine the matter, beginning with the first day of the tenth month. 17 By the first day of the first month they had passed judgment on all the men who had married foreign women.
18 Among the members of priestly families, the following were found to have married foreign women: of the sons of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, 19 who pledged to dismiss their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt;
20 of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah;
23 of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer;
24 of the singers: Eliashib, and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Among the Israelites: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; 27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;
28 of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; 30 of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;
31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel 35 Benaiah, Bedaiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu; 38 of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah; 40 of the sons of Zachai: Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph; 43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign woman but sent them away with their children.
Footnotes
- Ezra 10:3 Although the idea of divorcing wives and children seems ungodly and extreme, it was significant in showing the attention to God’s law that had been ignored by taking foreign wives in the first place.
- Ezra 10:15 Perhaps these opponents were afraid that the commission of inquiry would proceed too slowly, and they wanted more urgent measures taken.
