1
March 459 B.C. Ezra 10.17.
An examination by Ezra and leaders regarding foreign wives.
Ezra 10
1599
Geneva Bible (GNV)
(10 1
The people repent and turn, and put away their strange wives.)
1 While Ezra prayed thus,
and [a]confessed
himself weeping, and falling down before the house of God, there assembled unto
him of Israel a very great Congregation of men and women and children: for the
people wept with a great lamentation.
2 Then
Shechaniah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Elam answered, and said to
Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the
people of the land, yet now there is [b]hope
in Israel concerning this.
3 Now
therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away [c]all
the wives (and such as are born of them) according to the counsel of the Lord,
and of those that fear the commandments of our God, and let it be done
according to the Law.
4 Arise:
for the matter [d]belongeth
unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of comfort and do it.
5 ¶ Then
arose Ezra, and caused the chief Priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear
that they would do according to this word. So they sware.
6 And
Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan
the son of Eliashib: he went even thither, but he did eat neither bread
nor drunk water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of the
captivity.
7 And
they caused a proclamation to go throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto [e]all
them of the captivity, that they should assemble themselves unto Jerusalem.
8 And
whosoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the
Princes and Elders, all his substance should be [f]forfeit,
and he should be separate from the Congregation of them of the captivity.
9 ¶ Then
all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled themselves unto Jerusalem within
three days, which was the twentieth day of the [g]ninth
month, and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling for
this matter, and for the [h]rain.
10 And
Ezra the Priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have
taken strange wives, to [i]increase
the trespass of Israel.
11 Now
therefore [j]give
praise unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate
yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
12 And
all the Congregation answered, and said with a loud voice, So will we do
according to thy words unto us.
13 But
the people are many, and it is a rainy weather, and we are not able to stand
without, neither is it the work of one day or two: for we are many that
have offended in this thing.
14 Let
our rulers stand therefore [k]before
all the Congregation, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our
cities, come at the time appointed, and with [them] the Elders of every city
and the judges thereof, till the fierce wrath of our God for this matter turn
away from us.
15 Then
were appointed Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah over
this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites helped them.
16 And
they of the captivity did so, and [l]departed,
even Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chief fathers
to the family of their fathers by name, and sat down in the first day of the
tenth month to examine the matter.
17 And
until the first day of the first month they were finishing the business with
all the men that had taken strange wives.
18 And of
the sons of the Priests there were men found, that had taken strange wives, to
wit, of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and of his brethren,
Maaseiah, Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 And
they gave [m]their
hands, that they would put away their wives, and they that had trespassed gave
a ram for their trespass.
20 And of
the sons of Immer, Honani, and Zebadiah.
21 And of
the sons of Harim, Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And of
the sons of Pashur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of
the Levites, Jozabad and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (which is Kelita) Pethahiah,
Judah and Eliezer.
24 And of
the singers, Eliashib. And of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 And of
[n]Israel:
of the sons of Parosh, Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Mijamin, and
Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And of
the sons of Elam, Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and
Eliah.
27 And of
the sons of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jerimoth, and Zabad, and
Aziza.
28 And of
the sons of Bebai, Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
29 And of
the sons of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth.
30 And of
the sons of [o]Pahath-Moab,
Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and
Manasseh.
31 And of
the sons of Harim, Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin,
Malluch, Shamariah.
33 Of the
sons of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh,
Shimei.
34 Of the
sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Banaiah,
Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah,
Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah,
Mattenai, and Jaasai,
38 And
Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 And
Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai,
Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel,
and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum,
Amariah, Joseph.
43 Of the
sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadai, and Joel, Benaiah.
44 All
these had taken strange wives: and among them were women that had [p]children.
Footnotes:
Ezra 10:1 He
confessed his sins, and the sins of the people.
Ezra 10:2
Meaning, that God would receive them to mercy.
Ezra 10:3
Which are strangers and married contrary to the Law of God.
Ezra 10:4
Because God hath given thee authority and learning to persuade the people
herein, and to command them.
-
-
Ezra 10:9
Which contained part of November and part of December.
Ezra 10:9 For
the season was given to rain and so the weather was more sharp and cold, and
also their conscience touched them.
-
-
Ezra 10:14
Let them be appointed to examine this matter.
Ezra 10:16
They went to the chief cities to sit on this matter which was three months in
finishing.
Ezra 10:19
As a token that they would keep promise and do it.
Ezra 10:25
Meaning, of the common people: for before he spake of the Priests and Levites.
-
Ezra 10:44
Which also were made illegitimate because the marriage was unlawful.
