ǃHao taradi ge ra sîbēhe
1 Esrab Tempeli aiǃâ ǃhonǁgoa tsî ǀgores ǃnâ ā rase nē ǁorena ra ǁguiǁnâ, hîan ge ǂgui Israelǁî aogu, taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna ǁîb ǂnamipe hā mâ tsûsase ge ā. 2 Ob ge Elamǁîb Jehieli ôab Sekanjaba Esrab ǃoa ge mî: “Sige ge Eloba a ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ, ǃhao tarade ge ge ǃgames ǀkha, xaweb ge Israela noxopa ǃâubasensa ūhâ. 3 A ge nēsi sada Eloba mîmâiba, nē taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna ge nî sîbē ǃkhaisa. Sige ge sats tsî ǁnāgu Elob mîmāde ǁnâuǀnam hâgu go ǀapemā ge khami nî dī. Sige ge Elob ǂhanub ǃoa nî dī. 4 Nē ǃkhais di ǃereams ge sa ǃomǁae hâ. ǂKhâǃnâ tsi ge ra, xuige sa sîsenna dīs ǀkha aiǃgû re.”
5 Ob ge Esraba khâimâ tsî pristergu tsî Leviǁîgu tsî ǁaes tsîn di ǂgaeǂgui-aoga ge nū kai, Sekanjab go mî khamin nî dīsa, on ge ge nū. 6 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Tempeli aiǃâba xu Eljasib ôab Johananni ǃnā-oms ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa ge hâǂkhai, xū-i xare-e ǂû tsî ā tamase, ǃkhōsisa xu ge oaǀkhī khoen di ǃûǂams xab ge ǃoa hâ i xui-ao.
7 Tsî i ge ǂanǂan-e Jerusalems tsî Judab tsîra ǃnâ ge sîǂuihe, în ǃkhōsisa xu ge oaǀkhī khoen hoana Jerusalems ǃnâ ǀhao. 8 Tsî ǂamkhoegu tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ge ge mîǀgui, ǁîgu mîmās ai ga ǃnona tsēdi ǁaeb ǃnâ hā tama i khoe-i hoa-i ǁî-i xūna ūǀhanahe tsî ǀhûhâsiba xu nî ǃhaeǂuihesa. 9 O gu ge ǃnona tsēdi ǁaeb ǃnâ, Judab tsî Benjaminni aogu hoaga, ǀgamdisiǁî tsēs khoeseǁî ǁkhâb dis ai Jerusalems ǃnâ ge ǀhao. Hoaraga khoen ge Tempelǂgāb ai ge ǀhao hâ i. Kaise i ge gere ǀapi tsîn ge khoena ǀapib tsî nē ǂnûs di ǁkhamasa mâsib tsîn xa gere ǀkhū.
10 Ob ge prister Esraba khâimâ tsî ǁîna ge mîba: “Sago ge ǃhao tarade ǃgames ǀkha ǃûǂam tsî ǁnās ǀkha Israela ge ǀhapixa kai. 11 Nēsi ǁnâi ǃKhūb, sadu aboxan Elob aiǃâ sago ǁorena ǁguiǁnâ, î ǁîb ra ǂgao khami dī. Sada ǃhūb ǃnâ hâ ǃhao ǁaedi tsî ǃhao taradi tsîna xu ǀgora.”
12 On ge hoaraga khoena ǃgarise ge ǃeream: “Sats go mî xūn hoana da ge nî dī, 13 xawe da ge kaise a ǂgui tsî i ge ǀgaisase ra ǀapi. Sida ge nēti ǃauga a mâ ǁoa. Nē sîsenni ge ǀgui tamas ka io ǀgam tsēra ǃnâ nî dīhese ī tama hâ, ǂguida âda ge nē ǁoreba dī amaga. 14 A gu sida ǂamkhoega Jerusalems ǃnâ hâ tsî nē ǁhōb ǀkha aiǃgû. A gu ǃhao taradi ǀkha ge ǃgame aogu hoaga mîmâisa ǁaeb ai ǁîgu ǃās di ǂamkhoegu tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tawa sī. ǁNā ǀgaub aib ge Elob di ǁaib nē ǁhōb ǂama hâba sada xu nî toa.” 15 Asaheli ôab Jonatanni tsî Tikwab ôab Jasejab tsîkha ǀguikha ge nē ǃkhaisa ge mâǃoa, Mesulammi tsî Leviǁîb Sabetaib tsîkha xa ra ǂkhâǃnâhese.
16 ǃKhōsisa xu ge oaǀkhī khoen ge nē ǀapes xa ge ǃgâibahe. Ob ge prister Esraba ǃhaoǃnādi danakhoega ǀondi âgu ai ge ǂgaiǂui. ǁÎgu ge ǂguro tsēs disiǁî ǁkhâb dis ai, nē ǃkhaisa ôaǃnâs ǀkha tsoatsoa 17 tsî ǃhao taradi ǀkha ge ǃgame aogu di ǁhōga ǃnona ǁkhâgu ǁaeb ǃnâ ge dītoa.
ǃHao tarade ge ūhâ i aogu
18 Nēb ge ǃhao tarade ge ūhâ i aogu di ǃgôakhâiba:
Pristergu xasa:
Jesuab tsî ǁîb ǃgâsagu, Josadaki ôagu di ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Maasejab, Elieseri, Jarib tsî Gedaljab tsîgu. 19 ǁÎgu ge taradi âga xu gu nî ǀgorasa mîmâi tsî baiba ǁoreǁguibase ge ǁguiba.
20 Imeri ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Hananni tsî Sebadjab tsîkha.
21 Harimmi ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Maasejab, Eliab, Semajab, Jehieli tsî Usiab tsîgu.
22 Pashuri ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Eljoenaib, Maasejab, Ismaeli, Netaneli, Josabadi tsî Elasab tsîgu.
23 Leviǁîgu xasa:
Josabadi, Simeib, Kelajab (Kelita tis tsîna ra ǀonǂgaiheb), Petahiab, Judab tsî Elieser hâgu.
24 ǁNae-aogu xasa:
Eljasib.
Tempelǃûi-aogu xasa:
Salummi, Telemmi tsî Uri hâgu.
25 Nau Israelǁîgu xasa:
Parosi ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Ramjab, Isiab, Malkijab, Mijaminni, Eleasari, Makijab tsî Benajab tsîgu.
26 Elammi ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Matanjab, Saxariab, Jehieli, Abdib, Jeremoti tsî Eliab tsîgu.
27 Satub ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Eljoenaib, Eljasib, Matanjab, Jeremoti, Sabadi tsî Asisab tsîgu.
28 Bebaib ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Johananni, Hananjab, Sabaib tsî Atlaib tsîgu.
29 Banib ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Mesulammi, Maluki, Adajab, Jasub, Seali tsî Jeremoti tsîgu.
30 Pahat-Moab ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Adnab, Kelali, Benajab, Maasejab, Matanjab, Besaleli, Binuib tsî Manaseb tsîgu.
31-32 Harimmi ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Elieseri, Isiab, Malkijab, Semajab, Simeonni, Benjaminni, Maluki tsî Semarjab tsîgu.
33 Hasummi ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Matenaib, Matatab, Sabadi, Elifeleti, Jeremaib, Manaseb tsî Simeib tsîgu.
34-37 Banib ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Madaib, Amrammi, Ueli, Benajab, Bedejab, Keluhib, Vanjab, Meremoti, Eljasib, Matanjab, Matenaib tsî Jasub tsîgu.
38-42 Binuib ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Simeib, Selemjab, Natanni, Adajab, Maknadebaib, Sasaib, Saraib, Asareli, Selemjab, Semarjab, Salummi, Amariab tsî Josefi tsîgu.
43 Nebob ǃhaoǃnāsa xu Jeieli, Matitiab, Sabadi, Sebinab, Jadaib, Joeli tsî Benajab tsîgu.
44 Nē aogu hoagu ge ǃhao tarade ge ūhâ i. Tsî gu ge ǁîde ǀgoraxū tsî ǁîdi tsî ǀgôan âdi tsîna ge sîbē.
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.
