Ezra, Chapter 10:

Verses from Ezra, Chapter 10 of the book of Ezra in the Bible.

The confession of sin

• 1. While Ezra was praying and confessing, prostrate before the temple of God, a large crowd of Israelites, men, women and children, gathered around him. Everyone cried bitterly.
• 2. Then Shecaniah son of Jeiel, one of the descendants of Elam, came to Ezra and said: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the neighboring peoples. However, there is still hope for Israel.
• 3. Let us now make an agreement before our God and send back all these women and their children, according to the advice of my lord and those who tremble at the commandments of our God. Let this be done in accordance with the Law.
• 4. Get up! The responsibility is in your hands, but we are by your side. Have courage and act!”
• 5. Then Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, the Levites and all Israel swear to do what was proposed. And they took the oath.
• 6. Then Ezra left the temple of God and went to the room of Johanan, son of Eliashib. During the entire time he was there, he neither ate nor drank, lamenting the exiles' infidelity.
• 7. Then a proclamation was made throughout the territory of Judah and Jerusalem, calling on all the exiles to gather in Jerusalem.
• 8. The leaders and authorities decided that anyone who did not appear within three days would lose all their property and be excluded from the exile community.
• 9. Within three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together in Jerusalem. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the temple of God. They were deeply depressed, not only because of the meeting, but also because it was raining heavily.
• 10. Then the priest Ezra stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful! You married foreign women, increasing Israel's guilt.
• 11. Now confess your sins to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the neighboring peoples and their foreign women.”
• 12. The crowd responded in a loud voice, “You are right! We will do as you say.
• 13. However, there are many people here and it is rainy time; We cannot remain in the open. Furthermore, this is not an issue that can be resolved in a day or two, as there are many who have sinned in this way.
• 14. Let our leaders decide on this. Afterwards, every man in our cities who has married a foreign woman will come on a designated date, accompanied by the leaders and judges of each city, so that the fierce wrath of our God may be turned away from us because of this sin.”
• 15. Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jaseiah, son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and the Levite Sabetai, were the only ones to disagree.

List of offenders

• 16. Then, as proposed, the exiles acted. Ezra chose heads of families, one from each family, all of them identified by name. On the first day of the tenth month, they began to investigate each case.
• 17. By the first day of the first month, they have completed the investigation of all cases of marriage with foreign women.
• 18. Among the descendants of the priests, the following were found who married foreign women:
• 19. From the descendants of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. They agreed to dismiss their wives and each offered a ram as a guilt offering.
• 20. Of the descendants of Imer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
• 21. Of the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jeiel and Uzziah.
• 22. Of the descendants of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nathanael, Jozabad and Eleasa.
• 23. Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Chelaiah (also known as Chelita), Petaiah, Judah and Eliezer.
• 24. Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Salum, Telém and Uri.
• 25. Of the other Israelites: Of the descendants of Parós: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Miamim, Eleazar, Malchiah and Benaiah.
• 26. Of the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jeiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
• 27. Of the descendants of Zatu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
• 28. Of the descendants of Bebai: Johanan, Hananiah, Zabai and Atlai.
• 29. Of the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Maluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
• 30. Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binui and Manasseh.
• 31. Of the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Issiah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Simeon,
• 32. Benjamin, Maluque and Semarias.
• 33. Of the descendants of Hashun: Mathenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
• 34. Of the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
• 35. Benaiah, Bediah, Quelui,
• 36. Vanias, Meremoth, Eliashib,
• 37. Mattaniah, Matenai and Jaasai.
• 38. Of the descendants of Binui: Shimei,
• 39. Shelamiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
• 40. Macnadbai, Sasai, Sarai,
• 41. Azareel, Shelamiah, Shemariah,
• 42. Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
• 43. Of the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattitias, Zabad, Zebina, Jadai, Joel and Benaiah.
• 44. All of them had married foreign women, and some of them had children with these women

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