The People’s Confession of Sin
1While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”
5So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
9Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. 11Now honor10:11 Or Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”
12The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. 13But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.
16So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
18Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:
From the descendants of Joshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)
20From the descendants of Immer:
Hanani and Zebadiah.
21From the descendants of Harim:
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
22From the descendants of Pashhur:
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23Among the Levites:
Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24From the musicians:
Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25And among the other Israelites:
From the descendants of Parosh:
Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
26From the descendants of Elam:
Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27From the descendants of Zattu:
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28From the descendants of Bebai:
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29From the descendants of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
30From the descendants of Pahath-Moab:
Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31From the descendants of Harim:
Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
33From the descendants of Hashum:
Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34From the descendants of Bani:
Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
38From the descendants of Binnui:10:37,38 See Septuagint (also 1 Esdras 9:34); Hebrew Jaasu 38 and Bani and Binnui,
Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43From the descendants of Nebo:
Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.10:44 Or and they sent them away with their children
Bɔneka
1Ɛberɛ a Ɛsra bɔɔ mpaeɛ, kaa saa bɔne yi no, na ɔresu de ne ho toto fam wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim. Na nnipadɔm a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ, mmarima, mmaa ne mmɔfra bɛkaa ne ho ne no twaa adwo. 2Na Yehiel babarima Sekania a ɔyɛ Elam aseni no ka kyerɛɛ Ɛsra sɛ, “Yɛpae mu ka sɛ yɛanni yɛn Onyankopɔn nokorɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa a wɔwɔ asase no so. Nanso, yei akyi no, anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma Israel. 3Afei, momma yɛne yɛn Onyankopɔn nyɛ apam, na yɛnnyaa yɛn yerenom abosonsomfoɔ no awadeɛ, na yɛmpam wɔne wɔn mma. Yɛbɛtie afotuo a wo ne afoforɔ a wɔdi yɛn Onyankopɔn mmara no so de ama yɛn. Yɛbɛdi Onyankopɔn mmara no so. 4Ma wo bo nyɛ duru, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ wʼasɛdeɛ sɛ wokyerɛ yɛn ɛkwan a yɛbɛfa so ama biribiara akɔ so tee, na yɛde yɛn ahoɔden nyinaa bɛboa.”
5Na Ɛsra sɔre gyinaeɛ, na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ asɔfoɔ no ntuanofoɔ, Lewifoɔ ne Israelfoɔ nyinaa nka ntam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ deɛ Sekania aka no. Na wɔn nyinaa kaa ntam a ano yɛ den. 6Na Ɛsra sɔre firii Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim kɔɔ Eliasib babarima Yehohanan dan mu. Ɔdaa hɔ, nanso wannidi annom. Na ɔda so di awerɛhoɔ ɛsiane asutwafoɔ a wɔasane aba no nokorɛ a wɔannie no enti.
7Afei, wɔbɔɔ dawuro Yuda ne Yerusalem nyinaa sɛ, asutwafoɔ a wɔasane aba no nyinaa mmra Yerusalem. 8Na wɔn a wɔamma nnansa ntam no, sɛ ntuanofoɔ ne mpanimfoɔ pɛ a, wɔde wɔn nsa bɛto wɔn agyapadeɛ so, na wɔapam wɔn afiri asutwafoɔ no mu.
9Nnansa ntam no, na Yudafoɔ ne Benyaminfoɔ aboa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem. Asɛm yi sii wɔ Kislew bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnima) da a ɛtɔ so dunkron, na wɔn nyinaa tenatenaa adwaberem hɔ wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim. Na wɔn ho repopo, ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, na asɛm no mu yɛ duru, na deɛ ɛtɔ so mmienu no, na osuo nso retɔ. 10Na ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra sɔre gyina kaa sɛ, “Moayɛ bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, moawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa. Enti seesei, yɛwɔ afɔbuo a ano yɛ den mu sene kane deɛ no. 11Mompae mu nka mo bɔne nkyerɛ Awurade, mo agyanom Onyankopɔn, na monyɛ nʼapɛdeɛ. Monte mo ho mfiri nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so ne abosonsomfoɔ mmaa no ho.”
12Afei badwa no nyinaa maa wɔn nne so kaa sɛ, “Ampa, wʼasɛm no yɛ nokorɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ deɛ woaka no. 13Wɔtoaa so sɛ: Yei nyɛ da koro anaa nnanu adwuma, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛn mu bebree na saa bɔne kɛseɛ yi ka yɛn. Saa ɛberɛ yi yɛ osutɔberɛ, enti yɛrentumi ntena ha nkyɛre. 14Momma yɛn mpanimfoɔ nsi yɛn anan nyɛ biribiara. Obiara a ɔware ɔbosonsomni baa no ne ntuanofoɔ ne atemmufoɔ a wɔwɔ kuro yi mu bɛhyia ɛberɛ a yɛahyɛ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a Onyankopɔn abufuhyeɛ a ɛfa saa asɛm yi ho no bɛfiri yɛn so.” 15Asahel babarima Yonatan ne Tikwa babarima Yahasia na wɔtiaa saa asɛm yi mu, na Mesulam ne Sabetai a ɔyɛ Lewini no foaa wɔn so.
16Enti, yei ne nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔfaa so. Ɛsra yii ntuanofoɔ maa wɔsii wɔn mmusua anan, na ɔde edin bi too ntuanoni biara so. Bosome Kislew (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnimaa) da a ɛtɔ so aduonu nkron no, ntuanofoɔ no tenaa ase hwehwɛɛ asɛm no mu. 17Afe a ɛdi so no mu, Abib bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛtɔ so aduonu nson no na wɔawie mmarima a wɔawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa no nyinaa ho asɛnka.
18Asɔfoɔ a na wɔawareware abosonsomfoɔ no din nie:
Yosadak babarima Yesua ne ne nuammarimanom:
Maaseia, Elieser, Yarib ne Gedalia. 19Wɔkaa ntam sɛ wɔbɛgyaa wɔn yerenom, wɔn mu biara gyee nʼafɔdie too mu, na wɔde nnwennini bɛbɔɔ ɛfɔdie ho afɔdeɛ.
20Imer abusua mu no:
Hanani ne Sebadia.
21Harim abusua mu no:
Maaseia, Elia, Semaia, Yehiel ne Usia.
22Pashur abusua mu no:
Elioenai, Maaseia, Ismael, Netanel, Yosabad ne Elasa.
23Yeinom ne Lewifoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so:
Yosabad, Simei, Kelaia, Kelita, Petahia, Yuda ne Elieser.
24Dwomtofoɔ a na afɔdie da ne so no yɛ:
Eliasib.
Yeinom ne aponoanohwɛfoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so:
Salum, Telem ne Uri.
25Yeinom ne nnipa bi a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so:
Paros abusua mu no:
Ramia, Yisia, Malkia, Miamin, Eleasa, Malkia ne Benaia.
26Elam abusua mu no:
Matania, Sakaria, Yehiel, Abdi, Yeremot ne Elia.
27Satu abusua mu no:
Elioenai, Eliasib, Matania, Yeremot, Sabad ne Asisa.
28Bebai abusua mu no:
Yehohanan, Hanania, Sabai ne Atlai.
29Bani abusua mu no:
Mesulam, Maluk, Adaia, Yasub, Seal ne Yeremot.
30Pahat-Moab abusua mu no:
Adna, Kelal, Benaia, Maaseia, Matania, Besaleel, Binui ne Manase.
31Harim abusua mu no:
Elieser, Yisia, Malkia Semaia ne Simeon. 32Benyamin, Maluk ne Semaria.
33Hasum abusua mu no:
Matenai, Matata, Sabad, Elifelet, Yeremai, Manase ne Simei.
34Bani abusua mu no:
Maadai, Amram ne Uel, 35Benaia, Bedeia, Keluhi, 36Wania, Meremot, Eliasib, 37Matania, Matenai ne Yaasu.
38Binui abusua mu no:
Simei, 39Selemia, Natan, Adaia, 40Maknadebai, Sasai, Sarai, 41Asarel, Selemia, Semaria, 42Salum, Amaria ne Yosef.
43Nebo abusua mu no:
Yeiel, Matitia, Sabad, Sebina, Yadau, Yoɛl ne Benaia.
44Na mmarima yi mu biara aware ɔbosonsomni baa a na wɔn mu bi mpo ne wɔn yerenom yi wɔ mma.
