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
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以拦的后裔耶歇的儿子示迦尼对以斯拉说：“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，遵照律法行事，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他们在犹大和耶路撒冷发出通告，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，还要把他本人从流亡归来的会众中逐出。
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，民众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，又逢雨季，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只有亚撒黑的儿子约拿单和特瓦的儿子雅哈谢反对这事，支持他们的还有米书兰和利未人沙比太。
16流亡归来的人都遵命而行。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、雅立和基大利。 19他们起誓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和西巴第雅。 21哈琳的子孙中有玛西雅、以利雅、示玛雅、耶歇和乌西雅。 22巴施户珥的子孙中有以利约乃、玛西雅、以实玛利、拿坦业、约撒拔和以利亚撒。
23利未人中有约撒拔、示每、基拉雅——又名基利他、毗他希雅、犹大和以利以谢。 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、玛基雅和比拿雅。 26以拦的子孙中有玛他尼、撒迦利亚、耶歇、押底、耶利末和以利雅。 27萨土的子孙中有以利约乃、以利亚实、玛他尼、耶利末、撒拔和亚西撒。 28比拜的子孙中有约哈难、哈拿尼雅、萨拜和亚勒。 29巴尼的子孙中有米书兰、玛鹿、亚大雅、雅述、示押和耶利末。 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、宾内和玛拿西。 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、玛拿西和示每。 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、玛特乃和雅扫。 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、亚玛利雅和约瑟。 43尼波的子孙中有耶利、玛他提雅、撒拔、西比拿、雅玳、约珥和比拿雅。
44以上这些人都娶了外族女子为妻，其中有些还生了子女。
