1 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, for the people were weeping bitterly.

2 Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Olam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet even now there is hope for Israel in this matter. 3 Now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives and those born to them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. 4 Rise, for this matter is your responsibility, and we are with you. Be strong and act.”

5 Then Ezra arose and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear to do according to this word, and they swore. 6 Ezra rose from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. When he went there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning the unfaithfulness of the returned exiles.

7 They issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the returned exiles were to gather in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who did not come within three days, according to the decision of the officials and the elders, would forfeit all his possessions and be excluded from the assembly of the returned exiles.

9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the square before the house of God, trembling because of the matter and because of the rains.

10 Ezra the priest stood and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 12 The whole assembly answered with a loud voice, “Yes, we must do according to your words. 13 But the people are many, and it is the rainy season. We cannot stand outside, and this is not work for a day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14 Let our officials represent the whole assembly. Let everyone in our cities who has married a foreign woman come at appointed times, along with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God over this matter is turned away from us.”

15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them. 16 The returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest and men who were heads of ancestral houses were set apart according to their ancestral houses, all designated by name. They sat down on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 By the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

18 Among the descendants of the priests, these were found to have married foreign women: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers, Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They gave their hands in pledge to send away their wives and, being guilty, offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah, who is Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

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

25 From Israel, from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.

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

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

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

29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.

30 From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

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

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

35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 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 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had borne children.