Ezra 10
A Great Assembly Standing in the Rain
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Shecaniah’s Proposal and the Oath
10:1As Esdras prayed and confessed, weeping and praying before the house of God, a very great assembly gathered to him from Israel—men, women and young men—for the people wept and raised their weeping.
10:2Sechenias son of Iiel, of the sons of Elam, answered Esdras, “We have broken covenant with our God and have settled foreign wives from the peoples of the land among us. Now there is patient hope for Israel concerning this.
10:3Now let us make a covenant with our God to expel all the wives and those born from them, as you may wish. Arise and frighten them with the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the law.
10:4Arise, for the matter rests upon you, and we are with you. Be strong and act.”
10:5Esdras arose and made the leaders, the priests and Levites, and all Israel swear to act according to this word, and they swore.
The Summons and Its Penalty
10:6Esdras arose from before the house of God and went to the treasury chamber of Ioanan son of Elisoub. He went there, but ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the deported community’s covenant-breaking.
10:7They circulated a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the deported community, to assemble in Jerusalem:
10:8Whoever does not arrive within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, shall have all his property put under the ban, and he himself shall be separated from the assembly of the deported community.
The Assembly Proposes Appointed Hearings
10:9All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within the three days. This was the ninth month. On the twentieth of the month all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, because of their commotion over the matter and because of the winter weather.
10:10Esdras the priest arose and said to them, “You have broken covenant and have settled foreign wives among you, adding to Israel’s offense.
10:11Now give praise to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do what is pleasing before Him. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”
10:12The whole assembly answered, “Great is this word of yours that rests upon us to carry out.
10:13But the people are many, the season is wintry, and there is no strength to stand outside. The work is not for one day or two, for we have multiplied our wrongdoing in this matter.
10:14Let our leaders stand for the whole assembly. Let all those in our cities who have settled foreign wives come at times set by appointment, with the elders of each city and judges, to turn the wrathful anger of our God away from us concerning this matter.”
10:15Only Ionathan son of Asael and Iazia son of Thekoue were with me concerning this, and Mesoulam and Sabathai the Levite were helping them.
The Inquiry Is Completed
10:16The sons of the deported community did so. Esdras the priest and men who were leaders of ancestral families were set apart by household, all of them by name, because they returned on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
10:17They finished with all the men who had settled foreign wives by the first day of the first month.
Priests, Levites, Singers and Gatekeepers
10:18Among the sons of the priests who had settled foreign wives were found, from the sons of Iesous son of Iosedek and his brothers: Maasea, Eliezer, Iarib and Gadalia.
10:19They gave their hand in pledge to send out their wives and, for offense, a ram from the sheep concerning their offense.
10:20From the sons of Emmer: Anani and Zabdia.
10:21From the sons of Eram: Masaia, Elia, Samaia, Iiel and Ozia.
10:22From the sons of Phasour: Elioenai, Maasaia, Ismael, Nathanael, Iozabad and Elasa.
10:23From the Levites: Iozabad, Samou, Kolia—he is Kolitas—Phathaia, Iodom and Eliezer.
10:24From the singers: Elisaph. From the gatekeepers: Sellem, Telem and Odoue.
The Register of Israelite Families
10:25From Israel, from the sons of Phoros: Ramia, Iazia, Melchia, Meamin, Eleazar, Asabia and Banaia.
10:26From the sons of Elam: Mathania, Zacharia, Iaiel, Abdia, Iarimoth and Elia.
10:27From the sons of Zathoua: Elioenai, Elisoub, Mathania, Iarmoth, Zabad and Oziza.
10:28From the sons of Babi: Ioanan, Anania, Zabou and Othali.
10:29From the sons of Banoui: Mesoulam, Malouch, Adaias, Iasoub, Salouia and Remoth.
10:30From the sons of Phaathmoab: Edene, Chalel, Banaia, Masea, Mathania, Beselel, Banoui and Manasse.
10:31From the sons of Eram: Eliezer, Iessia, Melchia, Samaia, Semeon,
10:32Benjamin, Malouch and Samaria.
10:33From the sons of Esam: Mathani, Mathatha, Zabed, Eliphaleth, Ierami, Manasse and Semei.
The Remaining Names and the Closing Statement
10:34From the sons of Bani: Moodi, Amram and Ouel;
10:35Banaia, Badaia and Chelia;
10:36Ouiechoa, Ieramoth and Eliasib;
10:37Mathania, Mathanai; and acted
10:38the sons of Banoui and the sons of Semei,
10:39and Selemia, Nathan and Adaia,
10:40Machnadabou, Sesi and Sarou,
10:41Ezerel, Selemia and Samaria,
10:42and Saloum, Amaria and Joseph.
10:43From the sons of Nabou: Iiel, Mathathia, Sedem, Zambina, Iadai, Ioel and Banaia.
10:44All these had taken foreign wives and had fathered sons from them.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.