Ezra 10:4-14

4 "Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; 1be courageous and act."
5 Then Ezra rose and 2made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra 3rose from before * the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, 4he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over 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 three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, 5trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.
10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.
11 "Now therefore, 6make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and 7do His will; and 8separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives."
12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.
13 "But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 "Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the 9fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us."

Cross References 9

  • 1. 1 Chronicles 28:10
  • 2. Nehemiah 5:12; Nehemiah 13:25
  • 3. Ezra 10:1
  • 4. Deuteronomy 9:18
  • 5. 1 Samuel 12:18; Ezra 9:4; Ezra 10:3
  • 6. Leviticus 26:40; Proverbs 28:13
  • 7. Romans 12:2
  • 8. Ezra 10:3
  • 9. 2 Kings 23:26; 2 Chronicles 28:11-13; 2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 30:8

Footnotes 4

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