1As Ezra prayed and confessed, he wept and threw himself down before God's house. A very great assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered to him, for the people were weeping very greatly.

2Shekaniah son of Jehiel of the descendants of Elam said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the people of the other lands. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.

3So now let us make a covenant with our God to send out all the women and their children according to the Lord's instructions and the instructions of those who tremble at the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the law.

4Arise, for this thing is for you to carry out, and we are with you. Be strong and do this.”

5So Ezra rose and made the priestly officials, the Levites, and all of Israel promise to act in this way. So they all took a solemn oath.

6Then Ezra rose from before God's house and went to the rooms of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He did not eat any bread or drink any water, since he was mourning concerning the faithlessness of those who had been in captivity.

7So they sent word in Judah and Jerusalem to all the people back from exile to assemble in Jerusalem.

8Anyone who did not come in three days according to the instructions from the officials and elders forfeited all of his possessions and would be excluded from the great assembly of the people who had come back from exile.

9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days. It was the ninth month and the twentieth day of the month. All the people stood in the square before God's house and trembled because of the word and the rain.

10Ezra the priest arose and said, “You yourselves have committed treason. You lived with foreign women so as to increase Israel's guilt.

11But now give praise to Yahweh, your ancestors' God, and do his will. Separate from the people of the land and from the foreign women.”

12All the assembly answered in a loud voice, “We will do as you have said.

13However, there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We have no strength to stand outside, and this is not only one or two days of work, since we have greatly transgressed in this matter.

14So let our officials represent all the assembly. Let all who have allowed foreign women to live in our cities come at the time that will be fixed with the city elders and the city judges until the raging wrath of our God goes away from us.”

15Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

16So the people who returned from exile did this. Ezra the priest selected men, the leaders in their ancestors' clans and houses—all of them by name, and they looked into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.

17By the first day of the first month they had finished discovering which men had lived with foreign women.

18Among the descendants of the priests there were those who had lived with foreign women. Among the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19So they determined to send their wives away. Since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

20Among the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21Among the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.

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

23Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah—that is, Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24Among the singers: Eliashib. Among the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25Among the rest of the Israelites—among the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah. ³

26Among the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27Among the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

28Among the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29Among the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal Jeremoth. ⁴

30Among the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

31Among the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32Benjamin, Malluk, and Shemariah.

33Among the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34Among the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.

38Among the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, ⁵

39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,

40Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁶

41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43Among the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

44All of these had taken foreign wives and had children with some of them. ⁷