Ezra 9
A Prayer of Ezra
1 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents ▼ who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race ▼▼tn Heb “the holy seed,” referring to the Israelites as God’s holy people.
has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all this unfaithfulness!” 3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated. 4Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe ▼▼tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”
gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. ▼▼tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering. 5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, ▼▼tn The Hebrew word used here is a hapax legomenon. It refers to the self-abasement that accompanies religious sorrow and fasting.
with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God. 6I prayed: ▼▼tn Heb “I said.”
“O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt extends to the heavens. 7From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and ▼▼tc The MT lacks “and” here, but see the LXX and Vulgate.
priests, have been delivered over by the local kings ▼▼tn Heb “the kings of the lands.”
to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment—right up to the present time. 8 “But now briefly ▼▼tn Heb “according to a little moment.”
we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position ▼▼tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.
in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes ▼▼tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.
and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude. 9Although we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us ▼▼tn Heb “has granted us reviving.”
to restore the temple of our God and to raise up ▼▼tn Heb “to cause to stand.”
its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 “And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have forsaken your commandments 11which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words: ▼▼tn Heb “through your servants the prophets, saying.”
‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! ▼▼tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness. 12Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children ▼▼tn Heb “sons”; cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT “children”; NCV, TEV “descendants.”
forever.’ 13 “Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised restraint ▼▼tn Heb “held back downwards from”; KJV “hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve” (NIV, NRSV, NLT all similar).
toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as this. 14Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant? 15O Lord God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as a remnant this day. Indeed, we stand before you in our guilt. However, because of this guilt ▼▼tn Heb “this”; the referent (the guilt mentioned previously) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
no one can really stand before you.” Ezra 10
The People Confess Their Sins
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites—men, women, and children alike—gathered around him. The people wept loudly. ▼▼tn Heb “with much weeping.”
2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, ▼▼tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate עֵילָם (ʿelam, “Elam”) rather than the reading עוֹלָם (ʿolam, “eternity”) found in the MT.
addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying ▼ foreign women from the local peoples. ▼▼tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard. ▼▼tn Heb “upon this.”
3Therefore let us enact ▼▼tn Heb “cut.”
a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ▼▼tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God, but the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.
and that of those who respect ▼▼tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 4Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!” 5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. ▼▼tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”
And they all took a solemn oath. 6Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed ▼▼tc The translation reads וַיָּלֶן (vayyalen, “and he stayed”) rather than the reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “and he went”) of the MT. Cf. the LXX.
there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles. 7 A proclamation ▼▼tn Heb “voice.”
was circulated ▼▼tn Heb “they sent.”
throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 8Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles. 9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel. 11Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents ▼▼tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”
and from these foreign wives.” 12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said! ▼▼tn Heb “thus according to your word [singular = Qere] concerning us, to do.”
13However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. ▼▼tn Heb “the time [is] rain showers.”
We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 14Let our leaders take steps ▼▼tn Heb “stand.”
on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were ▼▼tn Heb “stood.”
against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 16So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ▼▼tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbadelu, “were separated”) of the MT.
by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ▼▼tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”
They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 17and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives. Those Who Had Taken Foreign Wives
18 It was determined ▼▼tn Heb “found.”
that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19(They gave their word ▼▼tn Heb “hand.”
to send away their wives; their guilt offering was 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 (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25 From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, 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, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 From ▼▼tc The translation reads with many medieval Hebrew mss and ancient versions וּמִבְּנֵי (umibbene, “and from the sons of”) rather than the reading וּבְנֵי (uvene, “and the sons of”) found in the MT.
the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32Benjamin, 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, 35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. 38 From ▼▼tc The translation reads וּמִבְּנֵי בִנּוּי (umibbene vinnuy, “and from the sons of Binnui”) rather than the reading וּבָנִי וּבִנּוּי (uvani uvinnuy, “and Bani and Binnui”) of the MT.
the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women. ▼▼tc The final statement in v. 44 is difficult in terms of both its syntax and its meaning. The present translation attempts to make sense of the MT. But the passage may have undergone textual variation in the transmission process. One proposal is that the text should be emended to read “and they sent these wives and children away” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV).
Copyright information for
NET2full