The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
1 While Ezra was down on his knees in front of God's temple, praying with tears in his eyes and confessing the sins of the people of Israel, a large number of men, women, and children gathered around him and cried bitterly.
2 Shecaniah son of Jehiel from the family of Elam said:
Ezra, we have disobeyed God by marrying these foreign women. But there is still hope for the people of Israel, 3 if we follow your advice and the advice of others who truly respect the laws of God. We must promise God that we will divorce our foreign wives and send them away, together with their children.
4 Ezra, it's up to you to do something! We will support whatever you do. So be brave!
5 Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, the Levites, and everyone else in Israel swear that they would follow the advice of Shecaniah. 6 Then Ezra left God's temple and went to spend the night in the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He felt sorry because of what the people had done, and he did not eat or drink a thing.
7-8 The officials and leaders sent a message to all who had returned from Babylonia and were now living in Jerusalem and Judah. This message told them to meet in Jerusalem within three days, or else they would lose everything they owned and would no longer be considered part of the people that had returned from Babylonia.
9 Three days later, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, everyone from Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and sat in the temple courtyard. It was a serious meeting, and they sat there, trembling in the rain.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and said:
You have broken God's Law by marrying foreign women, and you have made the whole nation guilty! 11 Now you must confess your sins to the Lord God of your ancestors and obey him. Divorce your foreign wives and don't have anything to do with the rest of the foreigners who live around here.
12 Everyone in the crowd shouted:
You're right! We will do what you say. 13 But there are so many of us, and we can't just stay out here in this downpour. A lot of us have sinned by marrying foreign women, and the matter can't be settled in only a day or two.
14 Why can't our officials stay on in Jerusalem and take care of this for us? Let everyone who has sinned in this way meet here at a certain time with leaders and judges from their own towns. If we take care of this problem, God will surely stop being so terribly angry with us.
15 Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were the only ones who objected, except for the two Levites, Meshullam and Shabbethai.
16 Everyone else who had returned from exile agreed with the plan. So Ezra the priest chose men who were heads of the families, and he listed their names. They started looking into the matter on the first day of the tenth month, 17 and they did not finish until the first day of the first month of the next year.
The Men Who Had Foreign Wives
18-19 Here is a list of the priests who had agreed to divorce their foreign wives and to sacrifice a ram as a sin offering:
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah from the family of Joshua son of Jozadak and his brothers; 20 Hanani and Zebadiah from the family of Immer; 21 Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from the family of Harim; 22 Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from the family of Pashhur.
23 Those Levites who had foreign wives were: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Eliashib, the musician, had a foreign wife.
These temple guards had foreign wives:
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Here is a list of the others from Israel who had foreign wives:
Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah from the family of Parosh;
26 Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah from the family of Elam;
27 Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza from the family of Zattu;
28 Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai from the family of Bebai;
29 Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth from the family of Bani;
30 Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh from the family of Pahath Moab;
31-32 Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah from the family of Harim;
33 Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei from the family of Hashum;
34-37 Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu from the family of Bani;
38-42 Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph from the family of Binnui;
43 Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah from the family of Nebo.
44 These men divorced their foreign wives, then sent them and their children away.
Omeripura wokuyandisa otukupo otuhovekwa
1 Esra ngunda e ripete mongumbiro momurungu wondjuwo ya Muhona, ama riri nu ame rihepura ourende we, otjimbumba otjinene tjOvaisrael, ovarumendu novakazendu novanatje otji ve mu woronganena tjandje mave riri tjinene. 2 Sekania, omuzandu wa Jehiel, wonganda ya Elam, otja tja nai ku Esra: “Eṱe twa kara nokuhinouṱakame ku Ndjambi tji twa kupa ovakazendu wozonganda; nungwari nangarire kutja pe ri nao, inga pe nomaundjiro kOvaisrael. 3 Nambano ngatu tjite omakwizikiro omaṱakame ku Ndjambi wetu kutja matu isa ovakazendu mba novanatje vawo ve yaruke. Eṱe matu tjiti imbi ove na imba mbe yozika omatwako wa Ndjambi mbi mamu tu rongo okutjita. Matu tjiti imbi Omatwako wa Ndjambi mbi maye hee. 4 Otjiṋa hi nga tji rire ourizirira woye. Eṱe matu ku vatere. Panḓipara, nu u ungure!”
5 Esra otja tjita kutja ovapristeri ozohongora nOvalevi notjiwaṋa atjihe ve tjite oruyano rokutja mave yenenisa ondunge ya Sekania. Nowo va yana. 6 Tjazumba eye otja sekama momurungu wondjuwo ya Muhona na kahita metuwo ra Johanan, omuzandu wa Eljasib, na rara mo ouṱuku e hi nokurya nokunwa, tjandje u noruhoze nouhaṱakama wovahuurwa.
7 Ombuze ya hindwa mOjerusalem na mOjuda arihe kutja avehe, mba kotokere okuza kouhuura ve woronganene mOjerusalem. 8 Omarakiza wovanane votjiwaṋa owo nga: Auhe ngu he ere moure womayuva yetatu, ma yekwa ouini we auhe, nu ma kondwa kombongo. 9 Moure womayuva yetatu nga, meyuva oritjamirongo vivari komueze outjamuvyu ovarumendu avehe mba mba turire mehi ra Juda nora Benjamin otji ve ya kOjerusalem, nave woronganene morupanda rwondjuwo ya Muhona. Ombura aa i roko tjinene, nu auhe wa zezerisiwa i ombura na indji onḓengu yombongarero.
10 Omupristeri Esra wa sekama na hungire ku wo a tja: “Eṋe mwa rira ovahaṱakama; mwa eta ondjo kOvaisrael mokukupa ovakazendu wozonganda. 11 Nambano rihepureye omauvi weṋu komurungu wa Muhona, Ndjambi wooiho mukururume, nu mu tjite ombango ye. Kareye peke novandu wozonganda, mba tura mehi retu, nu mu haṋike novakazendu veṋu wozonganda.”
12 Otjiwaṋa tja zira ama tji ravaere nai: “Eṱe matu tjiti ngamwa ihi tji mo tu raere.” 13 Nungwari tja weza atji tja: “Ovandu ovengi tjinene, nombura mai roko nomasa. Katu nokusora okukurama pendje nai. Ihi katjiṋa tji matji sokutjitwa meyuva rimwe poo momayuva yevari, orondu ovengi vetu va tura ondjo motjiṋa hi. 14 Ovahongore vetu ngave kuramenepo ombongarero aihe; owo ngave konḓonone otjiṋa hi. Tjazumba auhe ngu nomukazendu wozonganda nge ye moruveze ndwa tuwa po, pamwe novanane novapangure votjihuro tjawo. Komuhingo mbwi omazenge wa Ndjambi motjiṋa hi otji maye isiwa po.” 15 Kapa ri umwe ngwa kuramena omeripura nga momurungu posi ya Jonatan, omuzandu wa Asahel, na Jakseja, omuzandu wa Tikwa, nowo va vaterwa i Mesulam nOmulevi Sabetai.
16 Ovahuurwa mba kotokere va yakura omeripura nga, nu Esra, omupristeri, arire tja toorora ovarumendu moviuru vyozonganda, na tjanga omana wawo. Meyuva etenga komueze outjamurongo otji va uta omakonḓononeno motjiṋa hi, 17 nu moure womieze vitatu vyokomurungu va konḓonona oviposa avihe vyovarumendu, mba kupire ovakazendu wozonganda.
Omana wovarumendu mba kupire ovakazendu vozonganda
18 Omana wovarumendu, mba kupire ovakazendu vozonganda, owo nga: Ovapristeri va tjangwa otja kozonganda:
Monganda ya Jesua noyovangu ve, imba ovazandu va Josadak, mwa ri ooMaaseja na Elieser na Jarib na Gedalja. 19 Owo va kwizika kutja mave haṋika novakazendu vawo, notji va punguha ondwezu yonḓu i rire ombunguhiro yokuisapo ondjo yawo.
20 Monganda ya Imer mwa ri Hanani na Sebadja.
21 Monganda ya Harim mwa ri ooMaaseja na Elia na Semaja na Jehiel na Usija.
22 Monganda ya Pashur mwa ri ooEljoenai na Maaseja na Ismael na Netanel na Josabad na Elasa. 23 Mozonganda zOvalevi mwa ri ooJosabad na Simi na Kelaja, wina ngu ri Kelita, na Petakja na Juda na Elieser. 24 Mozonganda zovaimbure mwa ri Eljasib, mozonganda zovatjevere vondjuwo ya Muhona mwa ri Salum na Telem na Uri. 25 Mozonganda zOvaisrael ovakwao, monganda ya Paros mwa ri ooRamja na Issija na Malkija na Mijamin na Eleasar na Malkija na Benaja.
26 Monganda ya Elam mwa ri ooMatanja na Sakaria na Jehiel na Abdi na Jeremot na Elia.
27 Monganda ya Satu mwa ri ooEljoenai na Eljasib na Matanja na Jeremot na Sabad na Asisa.
28 Monganda ya Bebai mwa ri ooJohanan na Hananja na Sabai na Atlai.
29 Monganda ya Bani mwa ri ooMesulam na Maluk na Adaja na Jasub na Seal na Jeremot.
30 Monganda ya Pahat-Moab mwa ri ooAdna na Kelal na Benaja na Maaseja na Matanja na Besalel na Binui na Manasse.
31 Monganda ya Harim mwa ri ooElieser na Issija na Malkija na Semaja na Simeon, 32 na Benjamin na Maluk na Semarja.
33 Monganda ya Hasum mwa ri ooMatenai na Matata na Sabad na Elifelet na Jeremai na Manasse na Simi.
34 Monganda ya Bani mwa ri ooMaadai na Amram na Uel, 35 na Benaja na Bedja na Keluhi, 36 na Wanja na Meremot na Eljasib, 37 na Matanja na Matenai na Jaasu.
38 Monganda ya Binui mwa ri ooSimi, 39 na Selemja na Natan na Adaja. 40 Monganda ya Sakai mwa ri ooSasi na Sarai, 41 na Asarel na Selemja na Semarja, 42 na Salum na Amarja na Josef.
43 Monganda ya Nebo mwa ri ooJeiel na Matitja na Sabad na Sebina na Jadai na Joel na Benaja.
44 Ovarumendu avehe mba va kupire ovakazendu wozonganda. Owo va haṋika novakazendu vawo, nave ve hindi puna ovanatje vawo kutja ve yaruke.
