1. While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and bowing down before God’s house, a very large crowd of men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. The people also wept in distress.
2. Then Shecaniah, Jehiel’s son, from the family of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, "We’ve been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the neighboring peoples. But even now, there is hope for Israel in spite of this.
3. Let’s now make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and their children, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the Instruction.
4. Get up, for it is your duty to deal with this matter; we will support you. Be strong and act."
5. So Ezra got up and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take a solemn pledge that they would do as had been said. So they took a solemn pledge.
6. Then Ezra got up from the area in front of God’s house and went to the room of Jehohanan, Eliashib’s son, where he spent the night. He didn’t eat food or drink water, for he was mourning because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles.