The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Now while Ezra was making his prayer and his statement of wrongdoing, weeping and falling down before the house of God, a very great number of men and women and children out of Israel came together round him: for the people were weeping bitterly.
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0 Now while Ezra was davening and making vidduy, weeping and prostrating himself before the Beis HaElohim, a Kahal rav me’od, anashim, nashim, and yeladim, gathered to him from Yisroel, for the people wept bitterly.
2 And Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answering, said to Ezra, We have done evil against our God, and have taken as our wives strange women of the peoples of the land: but still there is hope for Israel in this question.
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And Shechanyah ben Yechiel, of the Bnei Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have been unfaithful to Eloheinu, have married foreign am ha’aretz women; yet now there is mikveh for Yisroel in spite of this.
3 Let us now make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and all their children, if it seems right to my lord and to those who go in fear of the words of our God; and let it be done in keeping with the law.
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So now let us make a Brit with Eloheinu to put away all nashim and that born of them, according to the counsel of Adonoi and the charedim at the mitzvot of Eloheinu; and let it be done according to the Torah.
4 Up, now! for this is your business, and we are with you; take heart and do it.
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Arise! For this matter is your responsibility; but we will be with you; chazak and act.
5 Then Ezra got up, and made the chiefs of the priests and the Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do this. So they took an oath.
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Then Ezra rose and made the leading Kohanim, the Levi’im, and kol Yisroel take an oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra got up from before the house of God and went into the room of Jehohanan, the son of Eliashib; but when he came there, he took no food or drink, for he was sorrowing for the sin of those who had come back.
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Then Ezra arose from before the Beis HaElohim and went into the chamber of Yehochanan ben Elyashiv. Although he went there, he did not eat lechem, nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of those of the Golus.
7 And they made a public statement through all Judah and Jerusalem, to all those who had come back, that they were to come together to Jerusalem;
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And they issued a proclamation throughout Yehudah and Yerushalayim to all the Banim of the Golus, that they should assemble at Yerushalayim
8 And that if anyone did not come before three days were past, as ordered by the rulers and the responsible men, all his goods would be put under the curse, and he himself would be cut off from the meeting of the people who had come back.
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And that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the sarim and the zekenim, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the Kahal of those of the Golus.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin came together to Jerusalem before three days were past; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people were seated in the wide square in front of the house of God, shaking with fear because of this business and because of the great rain.
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So all the men of Yehudah and Benyamin assembled at Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and kol HaAm sat in the rechov before the Beis HaElohim, distressed by the occasion and the heavy rain.
10 And Ezra the priest got to his feet and said to them, You have done wrong and taken strange women for your wives, so increasing the sin of Israel.
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Then Ezra HaKohen stood up and said to them, You have been unfaithful and have married foreign women adding to Ashmat Yisroel.
11 So now, give praise to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and make yourselves separate from the peoples of the land and from the strange women.
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Now, therefore, make confession to Hashem Elohei Avoteichem and do His will; separate yourselves from the am ha’aretz and from the foreign women.
12 Then all the people, answering, said with a loud voice, As you have said, so it is right for us to do.
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Then Kol HaKahal answered and said with a kol gadol, Ken! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.
13 But the number of people is great, and it is a time of much rain; it is not possible for us to go on waiting outside, and this is not a thing which may be done in one day or even two: for our sin in this business is great.
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But there are Am rav, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand bachotz (outside). Nor can the matter be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 So now let our rulers be representatives for all the people, and let all those in our towns who are married to strange women come at fixed times, and with them the responsible men and the judges of every town, till the burning wrath of our God is turned away from us, and this has been done.
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Let our leaders represent the Kol HaKahal and let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the ziknei ir and shofetim of each town until the charon af Eloheinu on account of this matter is turned away from us.
15 Only Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, the son of Tikvah, were against this, Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
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Only Yonatan ben Asah’el and Yachzeyah ben Tikvah supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi stood opposed.
16 So those who had come back did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain heads of families, by their fathers' families, all of them by their names, were marked out; and on the first day of the tenth month they took their places to go into the question with care.
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But the Banim of the Golus did so. And Ezra HaKohen selected anashim who were Rashei HaAvot for each of their father’s households, all of them by shemot. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter.
17 And they got to the end of all the men who were married to strange women by the first day of the first month.
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And they finished investigating all men who had married foreign women by the 1st day of the 1st month.
18 And among the sons of the priests who were married to strange women were these: of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak and his brothers, Maaseiah and Eliezer and Jarib and Gedaliah.
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And among the Bnei HaKohanim who had married foreign women were found of the Bnei Yeshua ben Yotzadak, and his brothers; Ma’aseiyah, Eliezer, Yariv, and Gedalyah.
19 And they gave their word that they would put away their wives; and for their sin, they gave an offering of a male sheep of the flock.
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And they pledged to put away their women, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their asham.
20 And of the sons of Immer, Hanani and Zebadiah.
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And of the Bnei Immer there were Chanani and Zevadyah;
21 And of the sons of Harim, Maaseiah and Elijah and Shemaiah and Jehiel and Uzziah.
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and of the Bnei of Charim; Ma’aseiyah, Eliyah, Shemayah, Yechiel, and Uzziyah;
22 And of the sons of Pashhur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
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and of the Bnei of Pashchur; Elyoeinai, Ma’aseiyah, Yishmael, Netanel, Yozavad, and Elasah.
23 And of the Levites, Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
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And of Levi’im there were Yozavad, Shimei, Kelayah (that is, Kelita), Petachyah, Yehudah, and Eliezer.
24 And of the music-makers, Eliashib; and of the door-keepers, Shallum and Telem and Uri.
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And of the singers there was Elyashiv; and of the gatekeepers; Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel, the sons of Parosh, Ramiah and Izziah and Malchijah and Mijamin and Eleazar and Malchijah and Benaiah.
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And of Yisroel, of the Bnei of Parosh there were Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malchiyah, Miyamin, Eleazar, Malkiyah, and Benayah;
26 And of the sons of Elam, Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel and Abdi and Jeremoth and Elijah.
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And of the Bnei Elam; Mattanyah, Zecharyah, Yechi’el, Avdi, Yeremot, and Eliyah;
27 And of the sons of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth and Zabad and Aziza.
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And of the Bnei Zattu; Elyoeinai, Elyashiv, Mattanyah, Yeremot, Zavad, and Aziza;
28 And of the sons of Bebai, Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
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And of the Bnei Bevai; Yehochanan, Chananyah, Zabbai, and Atlai;
29 And of the sons of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub and Sheal, Jeremoth.
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And of the Bnei Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adayah, Yashuv, Sheal, and Ramot;
30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab, Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel and Binnui and Manasseh.
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And of the Bnei Pachat-Moav; Adna, Kelal, Benayah, Ma’aseiyah, Mattanyah, Betzalel, Binnui, and Menasheh;
31 And of the sons of Harim, Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
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And of the Bnei Charim; Eliezer; Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Shemayah, Shim’on,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.
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Benyamin, Malluch, and Shemaryah;
33 Of the sons of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.
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Of the Bnei of Chashum; Matnai, Mattattah, Zavad, Eliphelet, Yeremai, Manasheh, and Shimei;
34 Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
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Of the Bnei Bani; Ma’adai, Amram, U’el,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
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Benayah, Bedyah, Keluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
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Vanyah, Meremot, Elyashiv,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu,
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Mattanyah, Mattnai, Ya’asai,
38 And Bani and Binnui, Shimei;
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Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39 And Shelemiah and Nathan and Adaiah,
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Shelemyah, Natan, Adayah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
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Machnavdai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
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Azarel, Shelemyah, Shemaryah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
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Shallum, Amaryah, and Yosef.
43 Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Iddo, and Joel, Benaiah.
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Of the Bnei Nevo there were Ye’iel, Mattityah, Zavad, Zevina, Yadai, Yoel, and Benayah.
44 All these had taken strange wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had offspring.
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All these had taken foreign women, and some of them wives by whom they had banim.
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The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.