10“Now, what can we say in the face of this, O our God, for we have forsaken Your commandments, 11which You gave us through Your servants the prophets when You said, ‘The land that you are about to possess is a land unclean through the uncleanness of the peoples of the land, through their abhorrent practices with which they, in their impurity, have filled it from one end to the other. 12Now then, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or let their daughters marry your sons; do nothing for their well-being or advantage, then you will be strong and enjoy the bounty of the land and bequeath it to your children forever.’ 13After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt—though You, our God, have been forbearing, [punishing us] less than our iniquity [deserves] in that You have granted us such a remnant as this—14shall we once again violate Your commandments by intermarrying with these peoples who follow such abhorrent practices? Will You not rage against us till we are destroyed without remnant or survivor? 15O LORD, God of Israel, You are benevolent,c for we have survived as a remnant, as is now the case. We stand before You in all our guilt, for we cannot face You on this account.”
10 While Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a very great crowd of Israelites gathered about him, men, women, and children; the people were weeping bitterly. 2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God by bringing into our homes foreign women from the peoples of the land; a-but there is still hope for Israel despite this.-a 3Now then, let us make a covenant with our God to expel all these women and those who have been born to them, in accordance with the bidding of the LORD and of all who are concerned over the commandment of our God, and let the Teaching be obeyed. 4Take action, for the responsibility is yours and we are with you. Act with resolve!”
5So Ezra at once put the officers of the priests and the Levites and all Israel under oath to act accordingly, and they took the oath. 6Then Ezra rose from his place in front of the House of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was in mourning over the trespass of those who had returned from exile. 7Then a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that all who had returned from the exile should assemble in Jerusalem, 8and that anyone who did not come in three days would, by decision of the officers and elders, have his property confiscated and himself excluded from the congregation of the returning exiles.
9All the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled in Jerusalem in three days; it was the ninth month, the twentieth of the month. All the people sat in the square of the House of God, trembling on account of the event and because of the rains. 10Then Ezra the priest got up and said to them, “You have trespassed by bringing home foreign women, thus aggravating the guilt of Israel. 11So now, make confession to the LORD, God of your fathers, and do His will, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.”
12The entire congregation responded in a loud voice, “We must surely do just as you say. 13However, many people are involved, and it is the rainy season; it is not possible to remain out in the open, nor is this the work of a day or two, because we have transgressed extensively in this matter. 14Let our officers remain on behalf of the entire congregation, and all our townspeople who have brought home foreign women shall appear before them at scheduled times, together with the elders and judges of each town, in order to avert the burning anger of our God from us on this account.” 15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah remained for this purpose, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai, the Levites. 16The returning exiles did so. Ezra the priest and the men who were the chiefs of the ancestral clans—all listed by name—sequestered themselves on the first day of the tenth month to study the matter. 17By the first day of the first month they were done with all the men who had brought home foreign women. 18Among the priestly families who were found to have brought foreign women were Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19They gave their wordb to expel their wives and, acknowledging their guilt, offered a ram from the flock to expiate it. 20Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; 21of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah; 23of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah who is Kelita, Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25Of the Israelites: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; 27of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth; 30of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, and Shimeon; 32also Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel; 35also Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhu, 36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasai, 38Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; 43of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44All these had married foreign women, among whom were some women c-who had borne children.-c
a Cf. Jer. 29.10.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a This chapter appears as Neh. 7.6–73 with variations in the names and numbers.
b Lit. “their.”
c A Persian title.
a-a I.e., Hodaviah of 2.40.
b-b Cf. Pss. 106.1; 136.
a Cf. below v. 18 and note d.
b A note indicating that what follows is in the Aramaic language.
c Vv. 9–11 amplify v. 8.
d I.e., from Aramaic to Persian.
a-a Lit. “with the name of the God of Israel upon them.”
b The officials of p. 3; cf. v. 10. Greek and Syriac read “they.”
a This introduces the text of the reply of Darius that doubtless contained the preceding narrative (vv. 1–5) as a preliminary.
b Meaning uncertain; or “turned into ruins.”
c Hebrew resumes here.
a Aramaic resumes here through v. 26
b-b Meaning uncertain.
c Hebrew resumes here.
a-a Lit. “are numerous above the head.”
b Lit. “fence.”
c Or “in the right.”
a-a Or “Is there…?”
b Lit. “hand.”
c-c Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Nehemiah
1 The narrative of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
In the month of Kislev of the twentieth year,a when I was in the fortress of Shushan, 2Hanani, one of my brothers, together with some men of Judah, arrived, and I asked them about the Jews, the remnant who had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They replied, “The survivors who have survived the captivity there in the province are in dire trouble and disgrace; Jerusalem’s wall is full of breaches, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’’
4When I heard that, I sat and wept, and was in mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of Heaven. 5I said, `O LORD, God of Heaven, great and awesome God, who stays faithful to His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments! 6Let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to receive the prayer of Your servant that I am praying to You now, day and night, on behalf of the Israelites, Your servants, confessing the sins that we Israelites have committed against You, sins that I and my father’s house have committed. 7We have offended You by not keeping the commandments, the laws, and the rules that You gave to Your servant Moses. 8Be mindful of the promise You gave to Your servant Moses:If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you turn back to Me, faithfully keep My commandments, even if your dispersed are at the ends of the earth,b I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish My name.’ 10For they are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and Your mighty hand. 11O Lord! Let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to hold Your name in awe. Grant Your servant success today, and dispose that man to be compassionate toward him!’’
I was the king’s cupbearer at the time.
2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, wine was set before him; I
