4
"Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; 1be courageous and act."
5
Then Ezrarose and 2made the leadingpriests, the Levites and allIsrael, takeoath that they would do according to thisproposal; so they took the oath.
6
Then Ezra3rose from before* the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he wentthere, 4he did not eatbreadnordrinkwater, for he was mourningover the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7
They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles*, that they should assemble at Jerusalem,
8
and that whoever* would not come within threedays, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himselfexcluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9
So all the men of Judah and Benjaminassembled at Jerusalem within the threedays. It was the ninthmonth on the twentieth of the month, and all the peoplesat in the opensquare before the house of God, 5tremblingbecause of this matter and the heavy rain.
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Then Ezra the prieststood up and said to them, "You have beenunfaithful and have marriedforeignwivesadding to the guilt of Israel.
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"Now therefore, 6makeconfession to the LORDGod of your fathers and 7do His will; and 8separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreignwives."
12
Then all the assemblyreplied with a loudvoice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.
13
"But there are manypeople; it is the rainyseason and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or twodays, for we have transgressedgreatly in thismatter.
14
"Let our leadersrepresent the wholeassembly and let all those in our cities who have marriedforeignwivescome at appointedtimes, together with the elders and judges of eachcity, until the 9fierceanger of our God on account of thismatter is turnedaway from us."