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.
終止雜婚
1以斯拉禱告、認罪、哭泣、俯伏在上帝的殿前時，一大群以色列人，包括男女和孩子，都聚集到他那裡，與他一起痛哭。 2以攔宗族耶歇的兒子示迦尼對以斯拉說：「我們對我們的上帝不忠，娶這地方的外族女子為妻，但以色列還有希望。 3現在，我們來與我們的上帝立約，聽從你和那些敬畏我們上帝誡命之人的指示，遵照律法而行，送走這些妻子和她們的兒女。 4起來吧！這事由你處理，我們支持你，放膽去做吧！」
5於是，以斯拉起來，要祭司長、利未人和所有以色列人起誓照這話去做，他們就都起了誓。 6以斯拉從上帝的殿前起來，進了以利亞實的兒子約哈難的房間。他在那裡不吃不喝，為流亡歸來者的不忠而憂傷。
7他們在猶大和耶路撒冷發出通告，要求所有流亡歸來的人在耶路撒冷集合。 8按照眾首領和長老的決定，三天之內未到者，其財產會被沒收，他本人也要被逐出流亡歸來者的會。
9三天內，所有的猶大人和便雅憫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廣場上。因為這事，加上當時下大雨，眾人都戰戰兢兢。
10以斯拉祭司站起來對他們說：「你們對上帝不忠，娶外族的女子為妻，加重了以色列的罪惡。 11現在，你們要向你們祖先的上帝耶和華認罪，遵行祂的旨意，與這地方的人和你們的外族妻子斷絕關係。」
12會眾都高聲回答說：「你說的對，我們必照你的話做。 13可是，人這麼多，又逢大雨季節，我們不能總站在外面，並且這事一兩天也解決不了，因為我們在這事上犯了大罪。 14不如讓我們的首領為全體會眾處理這事，讓那些娶了外族女子為妻的人在指定的時間與本城的長老和審判官一起來找首領解決，直到我們的上帝因這事而發的烈怒離開我們。」
15只有撒黑的兒子約拿單和特瓦的兒子雅哈謝反對這事，支持他們的還有米書蘭和利未人沙比太。
16流亡歸來的人都遵照建議而行。以斯拉祭司按家族選出各族長，都是點名指定的。他們從十月一日開始著手查辦這事， 17到次年一月一日才查清娶外族女子為妻的人。
18祭司中娶外族女子為妻的有耶書亞的子孫約薩達的兒子及其弟兄瑪西雅、以利以謝、雅立和基大利。 19他們答應休掉自己的妻子，並從羊群中獻上一隻公綿羊為自己贖罪。 20音麥的子孫中有哈拿尼和西巴第雅。 21哈琳的子孫中有瑪西雅、以利雅、示瑪雅、耶歇和烏西雅。 22巴施戶珥的子孫中有以利約乃、瑪西雅、以實瑪利、拿坦業、約撒拔和以利亞撒。
23利未人中有約撒拔、示每、基拉雅——又名基利他、毗他希雅、猶大和以利以謝。 24歌樂手中有以利亞實。殿門守衛中有沙龍、提聯、烏利。
25其他以色列人中有巴錄的子孫拉米、耶西雅、瑪基雅、米雅民、以利亞撒、瑪基雅和比拿雅。 26以攔的子孫中有瑪他尼、撒迦利亞、耶歇、押底、耶利末和以利雅。 27薩土的子孫中有以利約乃、以利亞實、瑪他尼、耶利末、撒拔和亞西撒。 28比拜的子孫中有約哈難、哈拿尼雅、薩拜和亞勒。 29巴尼的子孫中有米書蘭、瑪鹿、亞大雅、雅述、示押和耶利末。 30巴哈·摩押的子孫中有阿底拿、基拉、比拿雅、瑪西雅、瑪他尼、比撒列、賓內和瑪拿西。 31哈琳的子孫中有以利以謝、伊示雅、瑪基雅、示瑪雅、西緬、 32便雅憫、瑪鹿、示瑪利雅。 33哈順的子孫中有瑪特乃、瑪達他、撒拔、以利法列、耶利買、瑪拿西和示每。 34巴尼的子孫中有瑪玳、暗蘭、烏益、 35比拿雅、比底雅、基祿、 36瓦尼雅、米利末、以利亞實、 37瑪他尼、瑪特乃和雅掃。 38賓內的子孫中有示每、 39示利米雅、拿單、亞大雅、 40瑪拿底拜、沙賽、沙賴、 41亞薩利、示利米雅、示瑪利雅、 42沙龍、亞瑪利雅和約瑟。 43尼波的子孫中有耶利、瑪他提雅、撒拔、西比拿、雅玳、約珥和比拿雅。
44以上這些人都娶了外族女子為妻，其中有些還生了子女。
