The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
1 While Ezra was bowing in prayer in front of the Temple, weeping and confessing these sins, a large group of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, weeping bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have broken faith with God by marrying foreign women, but even so there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now we must make a solemn promise to our God that we will send these women and their children away. We will do what you and the others who honor God's commands advise us to do. We will do what God's Law demands. 4 It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.”
5 So Ezra began by making the leaders of the priests, of the Levites, and of the rest of the people take an oath that they would do what Shecaniah had proposed. 6 Then he went from in front of the Temple into the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, and spent the night there grieving over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. He did not eat or drink anything.
7 A message was sent throughout Jerusalem and Judah that all those who had returned from exile were to meet in Jerusalem 8 by order of the leaders of the people. If any failed to come within three days, all their property would be confiscated, and they would lose their right to be members of the community. 9 Within the three days, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the men living in the territory of Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and assembled in the Temple square. It was raining hard, and because of the weather and the importance of the meeting everyone was trembling.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them. He said, “You have been faithless and have brought guilt on Israel by marrying foreign women. 11 Now then, confess your sins to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him. Separate yourselves from the foreigners living in our land and get rid of your foreign wives.”
12 The people shouted in answer, “We will do whatever you say.” 13 But they added, “The crowd is too big, and it's raining hard. We can't stand here in the open like this. This isn't something that can be done in one or two days, because so many of us are involved in this sin. 14 Let our officials stay in Jerusalem and take charge of the matter. Then let anyone who has a foreign wife come at a set time, together with the leaders and the judges of his city. In this way God's anger over this situation will be turned away.” 15 No one was opposed to the plan except Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who had the support of Meshullam and of Shabbethai, a Levite.
16 The returned exiles accepted the plan, so Ezra the priest appointed men from among the heads of the clans and recorded their names. On the first day of the tenth month they began their investigation, 17 and within the next three months they investigated all the cases of men with foreign wives.
The Men Who Had Foreign Wives
18 This is the list of the men who had foreign wives:
Priests, listed by clans:Clan of Joshua and his brothers, sons of Jehozadak: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They promised to divorce their wives, and they offered a ram as a sacrifice for their sins.
20 Clan of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah
21 Clan of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah
22 Clan of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah
23 Levites:Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer
24 Musicians:Eliashib
Temple guards:Shallum, Telem, and Uri
25 Others:Clan of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah
26 Clan of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah
27 Clan of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza
28 Clan of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai
29 Clan of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth
30 Clan of Pahath Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh
31-32 Clan of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah
33 Clan of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei
34-37 Clan of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu
38-42 Clan of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph
43 Clan of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah
44 All these men had foreign wives. They divorced them and sent them and their children away.
Ovalikadi ovanailongo tava lekelwa
1 Ndele fimbo Esra ta indile ndele ta wile eombe mokulila, ndele ta hepaulula komesho yongulu yaKalunga, muIsrael mwa dja ongudu inene yovalumenhu noyovakainhu nounona tave uya kuye, osheshi ovanhu va lila nokulililila. 2 Opo nee Sekanja yaJehiel, womovana vaElam, a hovela okupopya ndele ta ti kuEsra: “Fye twe liteeka Kalunga ketu, eshi twa hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo vomoiwana yomoshilongo. Ndelenee natango tuu Israel shi neteelelo moshinima eshi. 3 Natu ningeni hano paife ehangano naKalunga ketu, tu lekele ovalikadi aveshe naava twa dala navo, papukululo lomwene wange naava hava kakama omolwoshipango shaKalunga ketu. Ndele napa ningwe pamhango. 4 Penduka, osheshi oshinima eshi oshoye. Ndele fye ohatu ku popile. Kala wa pama u shi ninge!”
5 Opo nee Esra a penduka nokwa anifa ovakulunhu vovapristeli nOvalevi nOvaisraeli aveshe, va ninge pandjovo oyo. Ndele va ana. 6 Ndele Esra a kala ofika komesho yongulu yaKalunga nokwa ya kondjuwo yaJohanan yaEljasib. Nokwe uya ko. Okwa li ina lya omungome ndele ina nwa omeva, shaashi okwa li ta nyika oluhodi molweliteeko leenghwate. 7 Opo nee va shiivifila muJuda nomuJerusalem, eenghwate adishe di ongale muJerusalem. 8 Ndele keshe ou ite uya momafiku oo atatu, emona laye alishe li nokuhanaunwa po pamhango ya pangelwa komalenga nokovakulunhu, ndele ye mwene ta ka tewa mo meongalo leenghwate. 9 Onghee hano ovalumenhu aveshe vomuJuda novomuBenjamin va ongala muJerusalem momafiku oo atatu, mohani onhimugoi mefiku etimilongo mbali lohani. Novanhu aveshe va kala omutumba poluhaela longulu yaKalunga, ndele va kakama molwoshinima shoovene nomolwodula ya pauka. 10 Nomupristeli Esra okwa kala ofika ndele ta ti kuvo: “Nye mwe liteeka ndele mwa hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo mu hapupalife ombedi yaIsrael. 11 Hano peni Omwene Kalunga kooxo efimano ndele ningeni osho tashi mu wapalele, ndele tukaukeni moiwana yomoshilongo nomovalikadi ovanailongo.” 12 Opo nee oshiongalele ashishe sha nyamukula, ndele tashi ti nondaka yopombada: “Heeno, paendjovo doye, tu noku shi ninga. 13 Ndelenee ovanhu ove li po vahapu, efimbo eli olodula; itashi dulika okukala ofika pondje. Noshilonga osho kashi fi shefiku limwe ile shomafiku avali, osheshi moshinima eshi twa tauluka nai. 14 Ovakulunhu vetu nava holoke ponhele yoshiongalele ashishe, opo nee aveshe vomufye ava ve li momikunda detu, ava va hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo tava dulu okwoongala pomafimbo a pangelwa, novakulunhu novatokoli vomoshilando keshe pamwe navo, opo tu kandule po pufye oupyuhandu waKalunga ketu moshinima eshi.” 15 Ndele Jonatan yaAsahel naJakseja yaTikva ovo aveke ve shi anya, ndele Mesullam nOmulevi Sabbetai va ama kuvo. 16 Ndelenee ovana ovamati vomoukwatwa ova ninga ngaha: omupristeli Esra okwa hoolola ovalumenhu, ovakulunhu vomapata pamapata avo, ndele vo aveshe va tumbulwa pamadina avo. Ndele va ninga oshiongalele mefiku lotete mohani onhimulongo va konakone oshinima osho, 17 ndele mefiku lotete lohani yotete va shiiva omadina ovalumenhu aveshe ovo va hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo.
18 Nomovana vovapristeli, ava va hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo mwa li ovana vaJosua yaJosadak novamwaina: Maasea naElieser naJarib naGedalja. 19 Ndelenee mokupaafana omake va udaneka nokutya, tava ka lekela ovakainhu vavo, ndele tava ka yamba molwombedi yavo odi yomhedi. 20 Ndele movana vaImmer: Hanani naSebadja, 21 ndele movana vaHarim: Maasea naElia naShemaia naJehiel naUssia, 22 ndele movana vaPashur: Eljoenai naMaasea, Ismael, Netanel, Josabad naEleasa. 23 Ndele mOvalevi: Josabad naSimei naKelaja nokutya, Kelita, Petahja, Juda naElieser. 24 Ndele movaimbi: Eljasib; ndele movanangeli poivelo: Sallum naTelem naUri.
25 Ndele mOvaisraeli; movana vaParos: Ramja naJissia naMalkia naMijamin naEliaser naMalkia naBenaja; 26 ndele movana vaElam: Mattanja, Sakaria naJehiel naAbdi naJeremot naElia; 27 ndele movana vaSattu: Eljoenai, Eljasib, Mattanja naJeremot naSabad naAsisa; 28 ndele movana vaBebai: Johanan, Hanania, Sabbai naAtlai; 29 ndele movana vaBani: Mesullam, Malluk naAdaja, Jasub naSeal, Jeremot; 30 ndele movana vaPahat-Moab: Adna naKelal, Benaja, Maasea, Mattanja, Besaleel naBinnui naManasse; 31 ndele movana vaHarim: Elieser, Jissia, Malkia, Shemaia, Simeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluk, Shemaria; 33 movana vaHasum: Mattenai, Mattatta, Sabad, Elifelet, Jeremai, Manasse, Simei; 34 movana vaBani: Maadai, Amram naUel, 35 Benaja, Bedeja, Keluhu, 36 Vanja, Meremot, Eljasib, 37 Mattanja, Mattenai naJaasu 38 naBani naBinnui, Simei 39 naSelemja naNatan naAdaja, 40 Magnadbai, Sasai, Sarai, 41 Asareel, Selemja, Shemaria, 42 Sallum, Amarja, Josef; 43 movana vaNebo: Jeiel, Matitia, Sabad Sebina, Jaddai naJoel, Benaja. 44 Vo aveshe va hombola ovakainhu ovanailongo, ndele ovakainhu vamwe vomuvo va dala ounona.
