1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and falling prostrate before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him out of Israel; for the people wept with a great weeping.

2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and are dwelling with foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this.

3 Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to bring out all these women and those who have been born to them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the Law.

4 Arise, for this matter is up to you. We also are with you. Be strong, and do it.

5 Then Ezra arose, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore.

6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the captivity, to assemble at Jerusalem,

8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and elders, all his property would be destroyed, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of those from the captivity.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have transgressed and have dwelt with foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel.

11 Now therefore, make confession to Jehovah the God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.

12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, Yes! As you have said, so we need to do.

13 But there are many people; it is the season for heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this matter.

14 Please, let our rulers be appointed out of the whole assembly; and let all those in our cities who have dwelt with foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until the fierce wrath of our God in this matter is turned away from us.

15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah stood against this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

16 And the sons of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest set apart some of the men, heads of fathers, according to the houses of their fathers, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 By the first day of the first month they finished investigating all the men who had dwelt with foreign women.

18 And among the sons of the priests who had dwelt with foreign women, the following were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their women; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their sin.

20 Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah;

21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah;

22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 And others of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;

26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah;

27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza;

28 of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai;

29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth;

30 of the sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh;

31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah;

33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei;

34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluh,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasau,

38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,

39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph;

43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel, and Benaiah.

44 All these had taken foreign women, some being women with whom they brought forth children.