Esdras 10

Medens Ezra nu under Bøn og Syndsbekendelse grædende kastede sig ned foran Guds Hus, samlede en stor Skare Israeliter sig om ham, både Mænd, Kvinder og Børn, thi Folket græd heftigt.

Derpå tog Sjekanja, Jehiels Søn, af Elams Efterkommere til Orde og sagde til Ezra: Vi har været froløse mod vor Gud ved at hjemføre fremmede Kvinder af Hedningerne i Landet. Men trods alt er der endnu Håb for Israel.

Lad os slutte Pagt for vor Gud om at sbille os af med alle vore fremmede Kvinder og deres Børn efter min Herres Bestemmelse og deres, som bæver for Guds Bud, og lad der blive handlet efter Loven!

Stå op, thi det er dig, der skal tage dig af Sagen, og vi vil stå dig bi; vær frimodig og tag fat!

Da stod Ezra op og tog Præsternes, Leviternes og hele Israels Øverster i Ed på, at de vilde handle således, og de aflagde Eden.

Derpå rejste Ezra sig fra Pladsen foran Guds Hus og begav sig til Johanans, Eljasjibs Søns, Kammer, hvor han tilbragte Natten; han hverken spiste eller drak, fordi han græmmede sig over Troløsheden hos dem, der havde været i Landflygtighed.

Derpå lod man kundgøre i Juda og Jerusalem forætlle dem, der havde været i Landflygtighed, at de skulde give Møde i Jerusalem;

og enhver, som ikke indfandt sig Tredjedagen derefter ifølge Øversternes og de Ældstes Bestemmelse, al hans Ejendom skulde der lægges Band på, og han selv skulde udelukkes fra deres Forsamling, der havde været i Landflygtighed.

Så samledes alle Mænd af Juda og Benjamin på Tredjedagen i Jerusalem; det var den tyvende Dag i den niende Måned; og alt Folket stillede sig op på den åbne Plads ved Guds Hus, skælvende både for Sagens Skyld og som Følge af Regnskyllene.

Men Folket er talrigt, og det er Vinterregnens Tid, så vi kan ikke blive stående her ude; og Sagen kan heller ikke afgøres på en Dag eller to, da vi har forbrudt os højligen her.

Lad derfor Øversterne for hele vor Forsamling give Møde og lad alle dem, der i vore Byer har hjemført fremmede Kvinder, indfinde sig til en fastsat Tid, ledsaget af de enkelte Byers Ældste og Dommere, for at vi kan blive friet fra vor Guds Vrede i denne Sag!

Kun Jonatan, Asa'els Søn, og Jazeja, Tikvas Søn, satte sig derimod med Støtte fra Mesjullam og Leviten Sjabbetaj.

Men de, der havde været i Landflygtighed, handlede derefter; og Præsten Ezra udvalgte sig nogle Mænd, Overhovederne for de enkelte Fædrenehuse, alle med Navns Nævnelse. Disse holdt da Møde den første Dag i den tiende Måned for at undersøge Sagen,

og de var færdige med alle de Mænd, som havde hjemført fremmede Kvinder, til den første Dag i den første Måned.

Blandt Præsterne fandtes følgende, der havde hjemført fremmede Kvinder: Af Jesuas, Jozadaks Søns, Efterkommere og hans Brødre Ma'aseja, Eliezer, Jarib og Gedalja;

disse gav deres Hånd på at ville sende deres Hustruer bort, og deres Skyldoffer var en Væder for deres Syndeskyld.

Af Immers Efterkommere: Hanani og Zebadja.

Af Harims Efterkommere: Ma'aseja, Elija, Sjemaja, Jehiel og Uzzija.

Af Pasjhurs Efterkommere: Eljoenaj, Ma'aseja, Jisjmael, Netan'el, Jozabad og El'asa.

Af Leviterne: Jozabad, Sjim'i. Kelaja, det er Kelita, Petaja, Juda og Eliezer.

Af Tempelsangerne: Eljasjib og Zakkur. Af Dørvogterne Sjallum, Telem og Uri.

Af Israel: Af Par'osj's Efterkommere: Ramja, Jizzija, Malkija, Mijjamin, El'azar, Malkija og Benaja.

Af Elams Efterkommere: Mattanja, Zekarja, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremot og Elija.

Af Zattus Efterkommere: Eljoenaj, Eljasjib, Mattanja, Jeremot, Zabad og Aziza.

Af Bebajs Efterkommere: Johanan, Hananja, Zabbaj og Atlaj.

Af Banis Efterkommere: Mesjullam, Malluk, Adaja, Jasjub, Sjeal og Ramot.

Af Pahat-Moabs Efterkommere: Adna, Kelal, Benaja, Ma'aseja, Mattanja, Bezal'el, Binnuj og Menassje.

Af Harims Efterkommere: Eliezer, Jissjija, Malkija, Sjemaja, Sjim'on,

Binjamin, Malluk og Sjemarja.

Af Hasjums Efterkommere: Mattenaj, Mattatta, Zabad, Elifelef, Jeremaj, Menassje og Sjim'i.

Af Banis Efterkommere: Ma'adaj, Amram, Uel,

Benaja, Bedeja, Keluhu,

Vanja, Meremot, Eljasjib,

Mattanja, Mattenaj og Ja'asaj.

Af Binnujs Efterkommere: Sjim'i,

Sjelemja, Natan, Adaja,

Maknadbaj, Sjasjaj, Sjaraj,

Azar'el, Sjelemja, Sjemarja,

Sjallum, Amarja og Josef.

Af Nebos Efterkommere: Je'iel, Mattitja, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddaj, Joel og Benaja.

Alle disse havde taget fremmede Kvinder til Ægte, men sendte nu Hustruer og Børn bort.

Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. {wept...: Heb. wept a great weeping}

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, {one} of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. {to put...: Heb. to bring forth}

Arise; for {this} matter {belongeth} unto thee: we also {will be} with thee: be of good courage, and do {it}.

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and {when} he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. {forfeited: Heb. devoted}

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It {was} the ninth month, on the twentieth {day} of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of {this} matter, and for the great rain. {the great...: Heb. the showers}

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. {have taken: Heb. have caused to dwell, or, have brought back}

Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

But the people {are} many, and {it is} a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither {is this} a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. {we are many...: or, we have greatly offended in this thing}

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. {for this...: or, till this matter be dispatched}

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this {matter}: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. {were...: Heb. stood}

And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, {with} certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by {their} names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: {namely}, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and {being} guilty, {they offered} a ram of the flock for their trespass.

And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same {is} Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, {and} Athlai.

And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

And {of} the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Benjamin, Malluch, {and} Shemariah.

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, {and} Shimei.

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, {Machnadebai: or, Mabnadebai, according to some copies}

Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Shallum, Amariah, {and} Joseph.

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

All these had taken strange wives: and {some} of them had wives by whom they had children.