Ezra 10 – NIRV & CCB

New International Reader’s Version

Ezra 10:1-44

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.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

以斯拉记 10:1-44

终止杂婚

1以斯拉祷告、认罪、哭泣、俯伏在上帝的殿前时,一大群以色列人,包括男女和孩子,都聚集到他那里,与他一起痛哭。 2以拦宗族耶歇的儿子示迦尼以斯拉说:“我们对我们的上帝不忠,娶这地方的外族女子为妻,但以色列还有希望。 3现在,我们来与我们的上帝立约,听从你和那些敬畏我们上帝诫命之人的指示,遵照律法而行,送走这些妻子和她们的儿女。 4起来吧!这事由你处理,我们支持你,放胆去做吧!”

5于是,以斯拉起来,要祭司长、利未人和所有以色列人起誓照这话去做,他们就都起了誓。 6以斯拉从上帝的殿前起来,进了以利亚实的儿子约哈难的房间。他在那里不吃不喝,为流亡归来者的不忠而忧伤。

7他们在犹大耶路撒冷发出通告,要求所有流亡归来的人在耶路撒冷集合。 8按照众首领和长老的决定,三天之内未到者,其财产会被没收,他本人也要被逐出流亡归来者的会。

9三天内,所有的犹大人和便雅悯人都聚集在耶路撒冷。九月二十日,大家都坐在上帝的殿前面的广场上。因为这事,加上当时下大雨,众人都战战兢兢。

10以斯拉祭司站起来对他们说:“你们对上帝不忠,娶外族的女子为妻,加重了以色列的罪恶。 11现在,你们要向你们祖先的上帝耶和华认罪,遵行祂的旨意,与这地方的人和你们的外族妻子断绝关系。”

12会众都高声回答说:“你说的对,我们必照你的话做。 13可是,人这么多,又逢大雨季节,我们不能总站在外面,并且这事一两天也解决不了,因为我们在这事上犯了大罪。 14不如让我们的首领为全体会众处理这事,让那些娶了外族女子为妻的人在指定的时间与本城的长老和审判官一起来找首领解决,直到我们的上帝因这事而发的烈怒离开我们。”

15只有撒黑的儿子约拿单特瓦的儿子雅哈谢反对这事,支持他们的还有米书兰利未沙比太

16流亡归来的人都遵照建议而行。以斯拉祭司按家族选出各族长,都是点名指定的。他们从十月一日开始着手查办这事, 17到次年一月一日才查清娶外族女子为妻的人。

18祭司中娶外族女子为妻的有耶书亚的子孙约萨达的儿子及其弟兄玛西雅以利以谢雅立基大利19他们答应休掉自己的妻子,并从羊群中献上一只公绵羊为自己赎罪。 20音麦的子孙中有哈拿尼西巴第雅21哈琳的子孙中有玛西雅以利雅示玛雅耶歇乌西雅22巴施户珥的子孙中有以利约乃玛西雅以实玛利拿坦业约撒拔以利亚撒

23利未人中有约撒拔示每基拉雅——又名基利他毗他希雅犹大以利以谢24歌乐手中有以利亚实。殿门守卫中有沙龙提联乌利

25其他以色列人中有巴录的子孙拉米耶西雅玛基雅米雅民以利亚撒玛基雅比拿雅26以拦的子孙中有玛他尼撒迦利亚耶歇押底耶利末以利雅27萨土的子孙中有以利约乃以利亚实玛他尼耶利末撒拔亚西撒28比拜的子孙中有约哈难哈拿尼雅萨拜亚勒29巴尼的子孙中有米书兰玛鹿亚大雅雅述示押耶利末30巴哈·摩押的子孙中有阿底拿基拉比拿雅玛西雅玛他尼比撒列宾内玛拿西31哈琳的子孙中有以利以谢伊示雅玛基雅示玛雅西缅32便雅悯玛鹿示玛利雅33哈顺的子孙中有玛特乃玛达他撒拔以利法列耶利买玛拿西示每34巴尼的子孙中有玛玳暗兰乌益35比拿雅比底雅基禄36瓦尼雅米利末以利亚实37玛他尼玛特乃雅扫38宾内的子孙中有示每39示利米雅拿单亚大雅40玛拿底拜沙赛沙赖41亚萨利示利米雅示玛利雅42沙龙亚玛利雅约瑟43尼波的子孙中有耶利玛他提雅撒拔西比拿雅玳约珥比拿雅

44以上这些人都娶了外族女子为妻,其中有些还生了子女。