Misulti ang mga Israelinhon sa Ilang mga Sala
1Samtang nagluhod si Ezra didto sa atubangan sa templo sa Dios nga naghilak ug samtang nagaampo siya ug nagsulti sa mga sala sa katawhan sa Israel, daghang mga Israelinhon nga mga lalaki, babaye, ug mga kabataan ang nagtigom libot kaniya. Nanghilak usab silag kusog. 2Unya miingon kaniya si Shecania nga anak ni Jehiel, nga kaliwat ni Elam, “Nakasala kami sa atong Dios tungod kay nakigminyo kami sa mga babaye nga dili Israelinhon nga nagapuyo uban kanato. Apan bisan pa niini may paglaom pa gihapon ang katawhan sa Israel. 3Busa karon, sundon namo ang imong tambag ug ang tambag sa uban pang nagatahod sa mga sugo sa atong Dios. Maghimo kamig kasabotan sa atong Dios nga papahawaon kining mga babaye apil ang ilang mga kabataan. Tumanon namo ang giingon sa Kasugoan. 4Tindog! Kay imong responsibilidad ang paggiya kanamo niining mga butanga. Lig-ona ang imong kaugalingon ug himoa ang angayng buhaton kay motabang kami kanimo.”
5Busa mitindog si Ezra ug gipapanumpa niya ang mga pangulo nga mga pari, ang mga Levita, ug ang tanang mga Israelinhon, nga himuon nila ang giingon ni Shecania, ug nanumpa sila. 6Unya mibiya si Ezra sa templo sa Dios ug miadto sa kuwarto ni Jehohanan nga anak ni Eliashib. Ug didto, wala siya mokaon ug moinom, kay nagsubo siya tungod sa pagpakasala sa mga Israelinhon nga namalik gikan sa pagkabihag.
7-8Nagpadalag pahibalo ang mga opisyales ug mga tigdumala sa mga Israelinhon sa tibuok Juda ug sa Jerusalem nga ang tanang namalik gikan sa pagkabihag magtigom sa Jerusalem. Ug si bisan kinsa nga dili moadto sulod sa tulo ka adlaw kuhaan sa tanan niyang mga kabtangan, ug dili na ilhon nga sakop sa mga katawhan nga namalik gikan sa pagkabihag.
9Busa sulod sa tulo ka adlaw nagtigom ang tanang katawhan sa Juda ug Benjamin, ug nanglingkod sila didto sa may plasa sa templo sa Dios sa Jerusalem. Nahitabo kini sa ika-20 nga adlaw sa ikasiyam nga bulan. Nangurog ang mga tawo tungod sa ilang ginahisgotan ug tungod sa makusog nga ulan.
10Unya mitindog si Ezra nga pari ug miingon kanila, “Nakalapas kamo kay nakigminyo kamo sa mga dili Israelinhon. Busa nadugangan pa gayod ang sala sa Israel. 11Karon, isulti ninyo ang inyong mga sala sa Ginoo, ang Dios sa inyong mga katigulangan, ug buhata ninyo ang iyang kabubut-on. Ilain ninyo ang inyong kaugalingon gikan sa mga katawhan sa palibot ninyo, ug bulagi ninyo ang inyong mga asawa nga dili Israelinhon.”
12Mitubag sa makusog ang tibuok katilingban, “Husto ka gayod! Buhaton namo ang imong gisulti. 13Apan kini nga butang dili mahuman sa usa o duha lang ka adlaw, kay daghan kanamo ang nakahimo niining salaa. Ting-ulan pa karon, ug dili kami makaagwanta nga magpaulan dinhi sa gawas. 14Ang mga opisyales na lang nato ang mag-atiman niini alang sa tibuok katilingban. Unya paanhion lang dinhi ang mga naminyo ug dili Israelinhon sa gitakda nga panahon uban ang mga tigdumala ug mga hukom sa ilang mga lungsod. Himuon ta kini aron mawala na ang labihan nga kasuko sa Dios kanato tungod sa butang nga atong gihimo.” 15Walay misupak niini nga plano gawas kanila ni Jonatan nga anak ni Asahel ug si Jahaz nga anak ni Tikva. Gipaluyohan sila ni Meshulam ug ni Shabetai nga mga Levita.
16-17Kadto nga mga plano gituman sa mga namalik gikan sa pagkabihag. Busa nagpili si Ezra nga pari ug mga lalaki nga mga pangulo sa mga pamilya, ug gilista ang ilang ngalan. Ug sa unang adlaw sa ikanapulo nga bulan, nanglingkod sila ug gisugdan nila ang pag-imbistigar sa mga Israelinhon nga naminyo ug mga babaye nga dili Israelinhon. Nahuman nila ang pag-imbistigar sa tanang mga kaso sa unang adlaw sa unang bulan, sa pagkasunod nga tuig.
Ang mga Lalaki nga Naminyo ug mga Dili Israelinhon
18-19Mao kini ang mga lalaki nga naminyo ug mga dili Israelinhon, ug misaad sila nga bulagan nila kining ilang mga asawa: (Naghalad ang kada usa kanila ug laking karnero isip bayad sa ilang sala.)
Gikan sa mga pari:
si Maasea, Eliezer, Jarib, ug Gedalia, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Josue nga anak ni Jozadak ug sa iyang mga igsoon;
20si Hanani ug si Zebadia, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Imer;
21si Maasea, Elias, Shemaya, Jehiel, ug Uzia, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Harim;
22si Elyoenai, Maasea, Ishmael, Netanel, Jozabad, ug Elasa, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Pashur.
23Gikan sa mga Levita:
si Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaya (nga gitawag usab ug Kelita), Petahia, Juda, ug si Eliezer.
24Gikan sa mga mag-aawit:
si Eliashib.
Gikan sa mga guwardya sa mga pultahan sa templo:
si Shalum, Telem, ug si Uri.
25Gikan sa uban pa nga mga Israelinhon:
si Ramia, Izia, Malkia, Miamin, Eleazar, Malkia, ug Benaya, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Parosh;
26si Matania, Zacarias, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremot, ug Elias, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Elam;
27si Elioenai, Eliashib, Matania, Jeremot, Zabad, ug Aziza, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Zatu;
28si Johanan, Hanania, Zabai, ug Atlai, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Bebai;
29si Meshulam, Maluc, Adaya, Jashub, Sheal, ug Jeremot, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Bani;
30si Adna, Kelal, Benaya, Maasea, Matania, Bezalel, Binui, ug Manase, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Pahat Moab;
31-32si Eliezer, Ishia, Malkia, Shemaya, Simeon, Benjamin, Maluc, ug Shemaria, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Harim;
33si Matenai, Matata, Zabad, Elifelet, Jeremai, Manase, ug Shemei, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Hashum;
34-37si Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaya, Bedia, Keluhi, Vania, Meremot, Eliashib, Matania, Matenai, Jaasu, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Bani;
38-42si Shimei, Shelemia, Natan, Adaya, Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemia, Shemaria, Shalum, Amaria, ug si Jose, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Binui;
43si Jeil, Matitia, Zabad, Zebina, Jadai, Joel, ug Benaya, nga gikan sa pamilya ni Nebo.
44Kini silang tanan ang naminyo ug mga babaye nga dili Israelinhon, ug ang uban kanila may mga anak niining mga babayhana.10:44 ug… babayhana: o, ug gipapahawa nila kining ilang mga asawa apil ang ilang mga anak.
The People Admit They Have Sinned
1Ezra was praying and admitting to God that his people had sinned. He was weeping and throwing himself down in front of the house of God. Then a large crowd of Israelites gathered around him. Men, women and children were there. They too wept bitterly. 2Shekaniah spoke to Ezra. Shekaniah was the son of Jehiel. He belonged to the family line of Elam. Shekaniah said, “We haven’t been faithful to our God. We’ve married women from the nations around us. In spite of that, there is still hope for Israel. 3So let’s make a covenant in front of our God. Let’s promise to send away all these women and their children. That’s what you have advised us to do. Those who respect our God’s commands have given us the same advice. We want to do what the Law says. 4Get up, Ezra. This matter is in your hands. Do what you need to. We will be behind you all the way. Be brave and do it.”
5So Ezra got up. He made the leading priests and Levites and all the Israelites make a promise. He made them promise they would do what Shekaniah had suggested. And they made that promise. 6Then Ezra left the house of God. He went to Jehohanan’s room. Jehohanan was the son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he didn’t eat any food. He didn’t drink any water. That’s because he was filled with sadness. He mourned because the people weren’t faithful to the Lord’s commands. Those people were the ones who had returned from the land of Babylon.
7Then an announcement was sent all through Judah and Jerusalem. All the people who had returned were told to gather together in Jerusalem. 8They were supposed to come there before three days had passed. If they didn’t, they would lose all their property. They would also be removed from the community of those who had returned. That’s what the officials and elders had decided.
9Before the three days were over, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered together in Jerusalem. It was the 20th day of the ninth month. They were sitting in the open area in front of the house of God. They were very upset by what they knew would happen. And they were upset because it was raining. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up. He said, “You haven’t been faithful to the Lord. You have married women from other lands. So you have added to Israel’s guilt. 11Now honor the Lord, the God of your people. Then do what he wants you to do. Separate yourselves from the nations around you. Send away your wives from other lands.”
12The whole community answered with a loud voice. They said, “You are right! We must do as you say. 13But there are a lot of people here. And it’s the rainy season. So we can’t stand outside. Besides, this matter can’t be taken care of in just a day or two. That’s because we have sinned terribly by what we’ve done. 14Our officials can act for the whole community. Have everyone in our towns who has married a woman from another land come at a certain time. Tell them to come together with the elders and judges of each town. Then our God will no longer be angry with us concerning this whole matter.” 15Only a few men opposed that. They included Jonathan and Jahzeiah. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite joined them. Jonathan was the son of Asahel. Jahzeiah was the son of Tikvah.
16So those who had returned did what had been suggested. Ezra the priest chose some family leaders. There was one from each family group. All of them were chosen by name. They sat down to check out each case. They started on the first day of the tenth month. 17By the first day of the first month they were finished. They had handled all the cases of the men who had married women from other lands.
A List of Those Who Had Married Women From Other Lands
18Among the family lines of the priests, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah
came from the family line of Joshua and his brothers. Joshua was the son of Jozadak. 19All of them made a firm promise to send their wives away. Each of these men brought a ram from his flock as a guilt offering.
20Hanani and Zebadiah
came from the family line of Immer.
21Maaseiah and Elijah
came from the family line of Harim. So did Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22Elioenai, Maaseiah and Ishmael
came from the family line of Pashhur. So did Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23Among the Levites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
There were Jozabad, Shimei and Kelaiah. There were also Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. Kelaiah’s other name was Kelita.
24Eliashib
came from the musicians.
Shallum, Telem and Uri
came from the men who guarded the temple gates.
25Among the other Israelites, here are the men who had married women from other lands.
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah and Mijamin
came from the family line of Parosh. So did Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26Mattaniah, Zechariah and Jehiel
came from the family line of Elam. So did Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27Elioenai, Eliashib and Mattaniah
came from the family line of Zattu. So did Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai
came from the family line of Bebai.
29Meshullam, Malluk and Adaiah
came from the family line of Bani. So did Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30Adna, Kelal, Benaiah and Maaseiah
came from the family line of Pahath-Moab. So did Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah and Shimeon
came from the family line of Harim. 32So did Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad and Eliphelet
came from the family line of Hashum. So did Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34Maadai, Amram and Uel
came from the family line of Bani. 35So did Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38Shimei
came from the family line of Binnui. 39So did Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad and Zebina
came from the family line of Nebo. So did Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44All these men had married women from other lands. Some of them had even had children by those wives.