1. And while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the House of Elohim, a very large assembly – men and women and children – gathered unto him from Yisra’ĕl, for the people wept very bitterly.
2. And Sheḵanyah son of Yeḥi’ĕl, one of the sons of Olam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our Elohim, and have taken foreign women from the peoples of the land. And now there is expectancy in Yisra’ĕl concerning this.
3. “Now then, let us make a covenant with our Elohim to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the counsel of יהוה and of those who tremble at the command of our Elohim. And let it be done according to the Torah.
4. “Arise, for the matter is upon you, but we are with you. Be strong and act.”
5. And Ezra rose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Lĕwites, and all Yisra’ĕl, to swear to do according to this word. And they swore.
6. Then Ezra rose up from before the House of Elohim, and went into the room of Yehoḥanan son of Elyashiḇ. And he went there – he ate no bread and drank no water for he mourned because of the trespass of the exiles.
7. And they passed a call throughout Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim to all the sons of the exile, to gather at Yerushalayim,
8. and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, all his goods would be put under a ban, and himself separated from the assembly of the exiles.
9. Then all the men of Yehuḏah and Binyamin gathered at Yerushalayim within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month. And all the people sat in the open space of the House of Elohim, trembling because of the matter and because of showers of rain.
10. And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You, you have trespassed and have taken foreign women, adding to the guilt of Yisra’ĕl.
11. “And now, make confession to יהוה Elohim of your fathers, and do His desire, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.”
12. And all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Right! It is upon us to do according to your word.
13. “But the people are many, and it is the season of showers of rain, and we are not able to stand outside. And the work not of one or two days, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
14. “Please, let the leaders of all the assembly stand. And let all those in our cities who have taken foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until the burning wrath of our Elohim is turned away from us in this matter.”
15. Only Yonathan son of Asah’ĕl and Yaḥzeyah son of Tiqwah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Lĕwite gave them support.
16. Then the sons of the exile did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain heads of the fathers’ houses, were separated by the fathers’ houses, each of them by name. And they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17. And they finished with all the men who had taken foreign women by the first day of the second month.
18. And among the sons of the priests who had taken foreign women were found of the sons of Yĕshua son of Yotsaḏaq, and his brothers: Ma‛asĕyah, and Eli‛ezer, and Yariḇ, and Geḏalyah.
19. And they gave their hand in pledge to put away their wives. And being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock for their guilt.
20. And of the sons of Immĕr: Ḥanani and Zeḇaḏyah;
21. and of the sons of Ḥarim: Ma‛asĕyah, and Ěliyah, and Shemayah, and Yeḥi’ĕl, and Uzziyah;
22. and of the sons of Pashhur: Elyo‛ĕynai, Ma‛asĕyah, Yishma‛ĕl, Nethanĕ’l, Yozaḇaḏ, and El‛asah.
23. And of the Lĕwites: Yozaḇaḏ, Shim‛i, Qĕlayah – he is Qelita – Pethaḥyah, Yehuḏah, and Eli‛ezer.
24. And of the singers: Elyashiḇ. And of the gatekeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25. And of Yisra’ĕl of the sons of Parosh: Ramyah, and Yizziyah, and Malkiyah, and Miyamin, and El‛azar, and Malkiyah, and Benayah;
26. and of the sons of Ěylam: Mattanyah, Zeḵaryah, and Yeḥi’ĕl, and Aḇdi, and Yerĕmoth, and Ěliyah;
27. and of the sons of Zattu: Elyo‛ĕynai, Elyashiḇ, Mattanyah, and Yerĕmoth, and Zaḇaḏ, and Aziza;
28. and of the sons of Bĕḇai: Yehoḥanan, Ḥananyah, Zabbai, and Athlai;
29. and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluḵ, and Aḏayah, Yashuḇ, and She’al, Ramoth;
30. and of the sons of Paḥath-Mo’aḇ: Aḏna, and Kelal, Benayah, Ma‛asĕyah, Mattanyah, Betsal’ĕl, and Binnui, and Menashsheh;
31. and of the sons of Ḥarim: Eli‛ezer, Yishshiyah, Malkiyah, Shemayah, Shim‛on,
32. Binyamin, Malluḵ, and Shemaryah;
33. of the sons of Ḥashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zaḇaḏ, Eliphelet, Yerĕmai, Menashsheh, and Shim‛i;
34. of the sons of Bani: Ma‛aḏai, Amram, and U’ĕl,
35. Benayah, Bĕḏeyah, Keluhu,
36. Wanyah, Merĕmoth, Elyashiḇ,
37. Mattanyah, Mattenai, and Ya‛asu,
38. and Bani, and Binnui, Shim‛i,
39. and Shelemyah, and Nathan, and Aḏayah,
40. Maḵnaḏeḇai, Shashai, Sharai,
41. Azar’ĕl, and Shelemyahu, Shemaryah,
42. Shallum, Amaryah, and Yosĕph;
43. of the sons of Neḇo: Ye‛i’ĕl, Mattithyah, Zaḇaḏ, Zeḇina, Yaddu, and Yo’ĕl, Benayah.
44. All these had taken foreign women, and some of them had women who had borne children.