While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping, and falling facedown in front of the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, because the people were weeping bitterly.

Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But even now there is hope for Israel regarding this.

And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

So now, let us make a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done in accordance with the Law.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We are with you, so take courage and act.

Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Then Ezra arose and made the leaders of the priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said. So they took the oath.

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

Ezra then withdrew from the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem.

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

Anyone who failed to appear within three days in accordance with the decision of the leaders and elders would have all his property confiscated and would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

So, within three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month, and all the people sat in the square before the house of God, trembling because of the matter and because of the heavy rain.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

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 women.

Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

The whole assembly responded with a loud voice, "You are right! We must do as you say.

Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season, so we cannot stand outside. This matter cannot be resolved in a day or two because we have sinned greatly in this matter.

But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

Let our leaders act on behalf of the entire assembly. Then let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God regarding this matter is turned away from us.

Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

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

Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of families, each identified by name, to investigate the matter; they convened on the first day of the tenth month to begin their investigation.

And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

By the first day of the first month, they had finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

Among the descendants of the priests, the following were found to have married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers, Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

They gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.

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

From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

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

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

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

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

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

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

From the musicians: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

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

Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

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

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

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

And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

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

Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

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

And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

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

And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

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

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel.

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi.

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib.

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai.

Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

Bani, Binnui, and Shimei.

And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah.

And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

Maknadebai, Shashai, and Sarai.

Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

Azarel, Shelemiah, and Shemariah.

Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

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

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

All these had married foreign women, and some of them had even fathered children by them.

All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.