1Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the abuse of the foreign marriages. 6Ezra by proclamation assembleth the people. 9The people at the exhortation of Ezra promise amendment. 15The business is carried into execution. 18The names of those who had married foreign wives.
1NOW when Ezra ahad prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down bbefore the house of God, there cassembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people 1wept very *sore.
1Heb. wept a great weeping.
*sore-greatly, much.
a Zec. 12.10. Ps. 32.5. Pr. 28.13. 1Jn. 1.9,10. Ho. 14.1,2. Ne. 1.6. Da. 9.20. b 1Ki. 8.30; 9.3. 2Ch. 20.9. c De. 31.12. 2Ch. 20.13.
2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, dWe have trespassed against our God, and have taken *strange wives of the people of the land: yet now ethere is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
*strange-foreign.
d Ne. 13.23. Ge. 6.2. Ex. 34.12. De. 7.2,3. 2Co. 6.14. e Is. 55.10. La. 3.24. Ex. 34.6,7.
3Now therefore let us fmake a covenant with our God 2to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that gtremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done haccording to the law.
2Heb. to bring forth.
f 2Ki. 11.17. Ne. 9.38; 13.25-27. Jos. 24.25. 2Ch. 15.12; 29.10; 34.31. g ch. 9.4. Is. 66.2. h De. 7.2,3. Jos. 23.12. Is. 8.20.
4iArise; for this matter belong eth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
i Jos. 7.10; 1.6,9. 1Ch. 19.13; 28.10. Is. 35.3,4. He. 12.12,13; 10.24. 1Th. 5.14.
5Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to jswear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
j v.3. Ne. 5.12; 9.38; 13.25. He. 6.16.
6¶Then Ezra rose up kfrom before the house of God, and went into lthe chamber of mJohanan the son of nEliashib: and when he came thither, ohe did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
k v.1. l Ne. 13.5,7. m Ne. 12.22,23. n Ne. 3.1; 13.4,7,28. o Job 23.12. 2Sa. 12.16. Da. 9; 10.
7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8And pthat whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be 3forfeited, and himself qseparated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
3Heb. devoted, Le. 27.28,29. Jos. 6.19. Ex. 22.20.
p Ju. 21.5. 1Sa. 11.7. ch. 7.26. q Jn. 9.22. Jude 19. 1Co. 5.4,5,13. Mat. 18.17.
9¶Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, rtrembling because of this matter, and for 4the great rain.
4Heb. the showers.
r Ps. 119.137. 1Sa. 12.17,18.
10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and 5have taken *strange wives, to sincrease the *trespass of Israel.
5Heb. have caused to dwell, or, have brought back.
*strange-foreign.
*trespass-sin, transgression.
s Nu. 32.14. 1Sa. 12.19. 2Ch. 28.13,22. Mat. 23.32. 2Ti. 3.13.
11Now therefore tmake confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and udo his pleasure: and vseparate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the *strange wives.
*strange-foreign.
t Jos. 7.19. Je. 3.13. Pr. 28.13. u Ro. 12.2. Is. 1.16,17. v 1Co. 7.12. De. 7.3,4. 1Co. 6.14-17. Is. 52.11.
12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, wso must we do.
w v.3,4. De. 5.27-29. Ps. 78.37,57.
13But the people xare many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand *without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for 6we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
*without-outside.
6Or, we have greatly offended in this thing.
x Mat. 7.13. v.18-44.
14Let now our yrulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken *strange wives in our cities come at zappointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God 7for this matter be turned from us.
*strange-foreign.
7Or, till this matter be dispatched.
y De. 17.9; 16.18,19. 2Ch. 19.5. z Ne. 10.34; 13.31.
15¶Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were 8employed about this matter : and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
8Heb. stood.
16And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down ain the first day of the tenth month to bexamine the matter.
a v.9,17. b Job 29.16. De. 13.14.
17And they made an end with all the men that had taken *strange wives by the first day of the first month.
*strange-foreign.
18¶And among the sons of the priests there cwere found that had taken *strange wives: namely , of the sons of dJeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
*strange-foreign.
c Mal. 2.7. Mat. 7.23. d ch. 2.36; 3.2,9. Zec. 3.1.
19And they egave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being fguilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their *trespass.
*trespass-sin, transgression.
e 1Ch. 29.24. 2Ki. 10.15. f Le. 4.3; 5.16; 6.6.
20And of the sons of gImmer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
g ch. 2.37. Ne. 7.40. 1Ch. 24.14.
21And of the sons of hHarim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
h ch. 2.39. Ne. 7.42; 10.5. 1Ch. 24.8.
22And of the sons of iPashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
i ch. 2.38. Ne. 7.41; 10.3.
23Also of the jLevites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
j ch. 2.40. Ne. 7.43; 10.10.
24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and kof the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
k ch. 2.42. Ne. 7.45.
25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of lParosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
l ch. 2.3. Ne. 7.8.
26And of the sons of mElam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
m ch. 2.7. Ne. 7.12.
27And of the sons of nZattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
n ch. 2.8. Ne. 7.13.
28Of the sons also of oBebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
o ch. 2.11. Ne. 7.16.
29And of the sons of pBani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
p ch. 2.10. Ne. 7.15.
30And of the sons of qPahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
q ch. 2.6. Ne. 7.11.
31And of the sons of rHarim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
r ch. 2.32. Ne. 3.11; 7.35.
32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33Of the sons of sHashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
s ch. 2.19. Ne. 7.22.
34Of the sons of tBani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
t ch. 2.10. v.29.
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
409Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
9Or, Mabnadebai, according to some copies.
41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43Of the sons of uNebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
u ch. 2.29. Ne. 7.33.
44vAll these had taken *strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
*strange-foreign.
v v.13. Mat. 7.13. Re. 13.3. Pr. 9.17,18.