1 Esdras 9

1Then Ezra rose up from the court of the temple and went into the chamber of Jona son of Naseib,

2And lodging there, he tasted no bread and drank no water, mourning over the great lawless deeds of the multitude.

3And a proclamation was made throughout all Judea and Jerusalem to all those from the captivity, to assemble in Jerusalem.

4And whoever does not appear within two or three days, according to the judgment of the presiding elders, their livestock will be devoted, and he himself will be excluded from the assembly of the captivity.

5And those from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month.

6And the whole assembly sat together in the open court of the temple, trembling because of the present storm.

7And Ezra rose and said to them, “You have acted lawlessly and have married foreign women, adding sin to Israel.”

8And now give confession and glory to the Lord God of our fathers,

9and do his will, and separate yourselves from the nations of the land and from the foreigners.

10And the whole assembly cried out and said with a loud voice, “So, as you have said, we will do.”

11But the people are many, and it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand outside; and this is not a task of one day.

12not in two days, for we have sinned greatly in these matters. But let the leaders of the multitude stand, and let all those from our settlements who have foreign wives come at an appointed time,

13the elders and the judges of each place, until the anger of the Lord over this matter is turned away from us.

14Jonathan son of Azael and Hezekiah son of Thocanus accepted this, and Mosollamus and Levi and Sabbataeus joined in deciding with them.

15And those from the captivity did all these things.

16And Ezra the priest selected for himself men who were heads of their fathers’ houses, all of them designated by name, and they convened on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17And the matter concerning the men who had taken foreign women was brought to an end by the new moon of the first month.

18And among the priests there were found some who had taken foreign women.

19From the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maelas, Eleazar, Joribus, and Joadanus.

20and they pledged themselves to send away their wives, and for atonement, rams for their ignorance.

21And from the sons of Emer: Ananias, Zabdaios, Manes, Thamaios, Jerel, and Azarias.

22And from the sons of Phaisour: Elionais, Asseias, Ismaēlos, Nathanaēlos, Okaēlēdos, and Salthas.

23And from the Levites: Jozabad, Seneis, Konos (that is, Kalitais), and Pathaios, and Judas and Jonas.

24From the temple singers: Eliasib, Bacchurus.

25From the gatekeepers: Shallumus and Tobanes.

26From Israel, from the sons of Phoros: Jerma and Jezias and Melcheias and Mielos and Eleazar and Asebeias and Bannaias.

27From the sons of Elah: Mattan and Zechariah, Jezrikilus and Obadiah and Jeremoth and Aedeias.

28And from the sons of Zamoth: Eliadas, Eleiasimus, Othonias, Jarimoth, Sabados, and Zeralias.

29And from the sons of Bebai: Joannes and Ananias and Zabdos and Emathis.

30And from the sons of Mani: Olamus, Mamuchus, Jedaeus, Jasubus, Asael, and Jeremoth.

31And from the sons of Addin: Lathos and Moosseias, Lakkounos and Naidos, and Beskaspasmos and Sesthel and Balnous and Manasseh.

32And from the sons of Annan: Eliodas, Asaiah, Melchiah, Sabbaias, and Simon Chosamaus.

33And from the sons of Asom: Maltannaios, Mattathias, Sabannaious, Eleiphalat, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34And from the sons of Baanei: Jeremias, Momdios, Maeros, Jouna, Mamdai, and Pedias, and Anos, Carabasion, and Enaseibos, and Mamntanaimos, Eliaseis, Bannous, Edialeis, Someis, Selemias, Nathanias; and from the sons of Exora: Seseis, Ezreil, Azaelos, Samatos, Zambrei, Phosepos.

35From the sons of Ooma: Zeitias, Zabadias, Edos, Ouel, and Banaias.

36All these had lived with foreign women, and they sent them away with the children.

37And the priests and the Levites and those from Israel lived in Jerusalem and in the country at the new moon of the seventh month, and the sons of Israel were in their settlements.

38And all the multitude gathered together with one accord in the open square of the eastern gate of the temple,

39And he told Ezra the priest and reader to bring the law of Moses that had been given by the God of Israel.

40And Ezra the chief priest brought the law before all the multitude, from man to woman, and all the priests, to hear the law, on the new moon of the seventh month.

41And he was reading in the broad space before the temple gate from dawn until midday in the presence of the men and the women; and all of them gave their attention to the law.

42And Ezra the priest and reader of the law stood on the wooden platform that had been constructed;

43And Mattathias, Sammou, Ananias, Azarias, Ourias, Ezekias, and Baalsamos stood at his right hand,

44And from the left: Phaladaios, Meisael, Melcheias, Lothasoubos, Nabareias, Zechariah.

45And Ezra took up the book before the multitude, for he was seated prominently before them all,

46And when the law was read, they all stood upright; and Azarias blessed the Most High God, the Lord of hosts, the Almighty,

47And all the assembly cried out, “Amen, amen,” and lifting up their hands, they fell to the ground and worshiped God.

48Jeshua and Anniuth and Sherebiah, Jadinus, Jarsubus, Abteus, Autaias, Maiannas and Kelitas, Azariah, Katezabdus, Annas, Phalias—the Levites—

49And Attarates said to Ezra the chief priest and reader, and to the Levites who were teaching the multitude, to all of them:

50This day is holy to the Lord, and all were weeping when they heard the law.

51Go your way, then, eat rich foods and send portions to those who have nothing.

52For the day is holy to the Lord, and do not be grieved; for the Lord will glorify you.

53And the Levites kept instructing all the people, saying, “This day is holy; do not grieve.”

54And they all went away to eat and drink and rejoice, and to send portions to those who had nothing, and to rejoice greatly;

55For they were also instructed in the words that they had been taught, and they were assembled.