The Message - Ezra

Ezra

Ezra 1 (The Message)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia - this fulfilled the Message of God preached by Jeremiah - God prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote it out as follows: 2 From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah. 3 Who among you belongs to his people? God be with you! Go to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build The Temple of God, the God of Israel, Jerusalem's God. 4 Those who stay behind, wherever they happen to live, will support them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with Freewill-Offerings for The Temple of God in Jerusalem. 5 The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites - everyone, in fact, God prodded - set out to build The Temple of God in Jerusalem. 6 Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold, tools, pack animals, expensive gifts, and, over and above these, Freewill-Offerings. 7 Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of the transfer; he provided a full inventory for Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah, including the following: 9 30 gold dishes 1,000 silver dishes 10 29 silver pans 30 gold bowls 410 duplicate silver bowls 1,000 miscellaneous items. 11 All told, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles that Sheshbazzar took with him when he brought the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2 (The Message)

1 These are the people from the province who now returned from the captivity, exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his hometown. 2 They came in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The numbers of the returning Israelites by families of origin were as follows: 3 Parosh, 2,172 4 Shephatiah, 372 5 Arah, 775 6 Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812 7 Elam, 1,254 8 Zattu, 945 9 Zaccai, 760 10 Bani, 642 11 Bebai, 623 12 Azgad, 1,222 13 Adonikam, 666 14 Bigvai, 2,056 15 Adin, 454 16 Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98 17 Bezai, 323 18 Jorah, 112 19 Hashum, 223 20 Gibbar, 95. 21 Israelites identified by place of origin were as follows: Bethlehem, 123 22 Netophah, 56 23 Anathoth, 128 24 Azmaveth, 42 25 Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743 26 Ramah and Geba, 621 27 Micmash, 122 28 Bethel and Ai, 223 29 Nebo, 52 30 Magbish, 156 31 Elam (the other one), 1,254 32 Harim, 320 33 Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725 34 Jericho, 345 35 Senaah, 3,630. 36 Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973 37 Immer, 1,052 38 Pashhur, 1,247 39 Harim, 1,017. 40 Levitical families: Jeshua and Kadmiel (sons of Hodaviah), 74. 41 Singers: Asaph's family line, 128. 42 Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 139. 43 Families of temple support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 44 Keros, Siaha, Padon, 45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, 46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, 47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, 48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, 49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai, 50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim, 51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 54 Neziah, and Hatipha. 55 Families of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, 56 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 57 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami. 58 Temple support staff and Solomon's servants added up to 392. 59 These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren't able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not: 60 Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652 in all. 61 Likewise with these priestly families: Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name. 62 They had thoroughly searched for their family records but couldn't find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean. 63 The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status with the Urim and Thummim. 64 The total count for the congregation was 42,360. 65 That did not include the male and female slaves, which numbered 7,337. There were also 200 male and female singers, 66 and they had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 68 Some of the heads of families, on arriving at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, made Freewill-Offerings toward the rebuilding of The Temple of God on its site. 69 They gave to the building fund as they were able, about 1,100 pounds of gold, about three tons of silver, and 100 priestly robes. 70 The priests, Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem. The singers, security guards, and temple support staff found places in their hometowns. All the Israelites found a place to live.

Ezra 3 (The Message)

1 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, the people assembled together in Jerusalem. 2 Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brother priests, along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his relatives, went to work and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it as written in The Revelation of Moses the man of God. 3 Even though they were afraid of what their non-Israelite neighbors might do, they went ahead anyway and set up the Altar on its foundations and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it morning and evening. 4 They also celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed and the daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings set for each day. 5 And they presented the regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings for Sabbaths, New Moons, and God's Holy Festivals, as well as Freewill-Offerings for God. 6 They began offering Whole-Burnt-Offerings to God from the very first day of the seventh month, even though The Temple of God's foundation had not yet been laid. 7 They gave money to hire masons and carpenters. They gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians in exchange for the cedar lumber they had brought by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, a shipment authorized by Cyrus the king of Persia. 8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started. They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of God. 9 Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad - all Levites - to direct the work crew on The Temple of God. 10 When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David king of Israel. 11 They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to God: Yes! God is good! Oh yes - he'll never quit loving Israel! 12 As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy. 13 People couldn't distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around.

Ezra 4 (The Message)

1 Old enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building The Temple of the God of Israel. 2 They came to Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, "We'll help you build. We worship your God the same as you. We've been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here." 3 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel said to them, "Nothing doing. Building The Temple of our God is not the same thing to you as to us. We alone will build for the God of Israel. We're the ones King Cyrus of Persia commanded to do it." 4 So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. 5 They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6 In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem. 7 Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. (What follows is written in Aramaic.) 8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa, 10 and all the others whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates. 11 (This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.) To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates. 12 We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city. They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations. 13 The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty. The royal treasury will feel the loss. 14 We're loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted - that's why we are passing this information on. 15 We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you'll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, an historic center of unrest and revolt. That's why the city was wiped out. 16 We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you'll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates. 17 The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates. 18 The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me. 19 I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again - rebellion is an old story there. 20 I find that they've had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty. 21 So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately - not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it. 22 Act quickly and firmly; they've done enough damage to kings! 23 The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work. 24 That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 5 (The Message)

1 Meanwhile the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the authority of the God of Israel who ruled them. 2 And so Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak started again, rebuilding The Temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there helping them. 3 Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time. Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, "Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" 4 Then we told them the names of the men responsible for this construction work. 5 But God had his eye on the leaders of the Jews, and the work wasn't stopped until a report could reach Darius and an official reply be returned. 6 Tattenai, governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and his associates - the officials of that land - sent a letter to Darius the king. 7 This is what they wrote to him: To Darius the king. Peace and blessing! 8 We want to report to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to The Temple of the great God that is being rebuilt with large stones. Timbers are being fitted into the walls; the work is going on with great energy and in good time. 9 We asked the leaders, "Who issued you the permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?" 10 We also asked for their names so we could pass them on to you and have a record of the men at the head of the construction work. 11 This is what they told us: "We are servants of the God of the heavens and the earth. We are rebuilding The Temple that was built a long time ago. A great king of Israel built it, the entire structure. 12 But our ancestors made the God of the heavens really angry and he turned them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who knocked this Temple down and took the people to Babylon in exile. 13 "But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God. 14 He also gave back the gold and silver vessels of The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had carted off and put in the Babylon temple. Cyrus the king removed them from the temple of Babylon and turned them over to Sheshbazzar, the man he had appointed governor. 15 He told him, 'Take these vessels and place them in The Temple of Jerusalem and rebuild The Temple of God on its original site.' 16 And Sheshbazzar did it. He laid the foundation of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. It has been under construction ever since but it is not yet finished." 17 So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then send the king's ruling on this matter to us.

Ezra 6 (The Message)

1 So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. 2 Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it: 3 In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows: 4 with three courses of large stones topped with one course of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal bank. 5 The gold and silver vessels from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon are to be returned to The Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place; place them in The Temple of God. 6 Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. 7 Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it. 8 I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God: 1. All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates. And pay them on time, without delays. 9 2. Whatever is required for their worship - young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request - is to be given to them daily without delay 10 so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 I've issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order is to be impaled on a timber torn out of his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit. 12 And may the God who put his Name on that place wipe out any king or people who dares to defy this decree and destroy The Temple of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued an official decree. Carry it out precisely and promptly. 13 Tattenai governor of the land across the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates did it: They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly. 14 So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 And then the Israelites celebrated - priests, Levites, every last exile, exuberantly celebrated the dedication of The Temple of God. 17 At the dedication of this Temple of God they sacrificed a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs - and, as an Absolution-Offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 18 They placed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places for the service of God at Jerusalem - all as written out in the Book of Moses. 19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 All the priests and Levites had purified themselves - all, no exceptions. They were all ritually clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves. 21 Then the Israelites who had returned from exile, along with everyone who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations to join them and seek God, the God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 With great joy they celebrated the Feast of Unraised Bread for seven days. God had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding The Temple of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 7 (The Message)

1 After all this, Ezra. It was during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest. 6 That's Ezra. He arrived from Babylon, a scholar well-practiced in the Revelation of Moses that the God of Israel had given. Because God's hand was on Ezra, the king gave him everything he asked for. 7 Some of the Israelites - priests, Levites, singers, temple security guards, and temple slaves - went with him to Jerusalem. It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 They arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king's reign. 9 Ezra had scheduled their departure from Babylon on the first day of the first month; they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month under the generous guidance of his God. 10 Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways. 11 What follows is the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra, priest and scholar, expert in matters involving the truths and ways of God concerning Israel: 12 Artaxerxes, King of Kings, to Ezra the priest, a scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven. 13 I hereby decree that any of the people of Israel living in my kingdom who want to go to Jerusalem, including their priests and Levites, may go with you. 14 You are being sent by the king and his seven advisors to carry out an investigation of Judah and Jerusalem in relation to the Teaching of your God that you are carrying with you. 15 You are also authorized to take the silver and gold that the king and his advisors are giving for the God of Israel, whose residence is in Jerusalem, 16 along with all the silver and gold that has been collected from the generously donated offerings all over Babylon, including that from the people and the priests, for The Temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 Use this money carefully to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and the ingredients for Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings and then offer them on the Altar of The Temple of your God in Jerusalem. 18 You are free to use whatever is left over from the silver and gold for what you and your brothers decide is in keeping with the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels given to you for the services of worship in The Temple of your God. 20 Whatever else you need for The Temple of your God you may pay for out of the royal bank. 21 I, Artaxerxes the king, have formally authorized and ordered all the treasurers of the land across the Euphrates to give Ezra the priest, scholar of the Teaching of the God-of-Heaven, the full amount of whatever he asks for 22 up to a hundred talents of silver, six hundred and fifty bushels of wheat, and six hundred and seven gallons each of wine and olive oil. There is no limit on the salt. 23 Everything the God-of-Heaven requires for The Temple of God must be given without hesitation. Why would the king and his sons risk stirring up his wrath? 24 Also, let it be clear that no one is permitted to impose tribute, tax, or duty on any priest, Levite, singer, temple security guard, temple servant, or any other worker connected with The Temple of God. 25 I authorize you, Ezra, exercising the wisdom of God that you have in your hands, to appoint magistrates and judges so they can administer justice among all the people of the land across the Euphrates who live by the Teaching of your God. Anyone who does not know the Teaching, you teach them. 26 Anyone who does not obey the Teaching of your God and the king must be tried and sentenced at once - death, banishment, a fine, prison, whatever. 27 Blessed be God, the God-of-Our-Fathers, who put it in the mind of the king to beautify The Temple of God in Jerusalem! 28 Not only that, he caused the king and all his advisors and influential officials actually to like me and back me. My God was on my side and I was ready to go. And I organized all the leaders of Israel to go with me.

Ezra 8 (The Message)

1 These are the family heads and those who signed up to go up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: 2 From the family of Phinehas: Gershom Family of Ithamar: Daniel Family of David: Hattush 3 Family of Shecaniah Family of Parosh: Zechariah, and with him 150 men signed up 4 Family of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and 200 men 5 Family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and 300 men 6 Family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and 50 men 7 Family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and 70 men 8 Family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and 80 men 9 Family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and 218 men 10 Family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and 160 men 11 Family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and 28 men 12 Family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and 110 men 13 Family of Adonikam (bringing up the rear): their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men 14 Family of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, and 70 men. 15 I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava. We camped there three days. I looked them over and found that they were all laymen and priests but no Levites. 16 So I sent for the leaders Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 I then sent them to Iddo, who is head of the town of Casiphia, and told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives who lived there in Casiphia: "Send us ministers for The Temple of God." 18 Well, the generous hand of our God was on us, and they brought back to us a wise man from the family of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel. His name was Sherebiah. With sons and brothers they numbered eighteen. 19 They also brought Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, with brothers and their sons, another twenty. 20 And then there were 220 temple servants, descendants of the temple servants that David and the princes had assigned to help the Levites in their work. They were all signed up by name. 21 I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble ourselves before our God and pray for wise guidance for our journey - all our people and possessions. 22 I was embarrassed to ask the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road. We had just told the king, "Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in disgust from those who leave him." 23 So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And he listened. 24 Then I picked twelve of the leading priests - Sherebiah and Hashabiah with ten of their brothers. 25 I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offerings for The Temple of our God that the king, his advisors, and all the Israelites had given: 26 25 tons of silver -100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons three and three-quarter tons of gold 27 20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds 2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold. 28 I said to them, "You are holy to God and these vessels are holy. The silver and gold are Freewill-Offerings to the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them with your lives until you're able to weigh them out in a secure place in The Temple of our God for the priests and Levites and family heads who are in charge in Jerusalem." 30 The priests and Levites took charge of all that had been weighed out to them, and prepared to deliver it to Jerusalem to The Temple of our God. 31 We left the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to travel to Jerusalem. God was with us all the way and kept us safe from bandits and highwaymen. 32 We arrived in Jerusalem and waited there three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver and gold and vessels were weighed out in The Temple of our God into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was there with him, also the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was counted and weighed and the totals recorded. 35 When they arrived, the exiles, now returned from captivity, offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls, representing all Israel 96 rams 77 lambs 12 he-goats as an Absolution-Offering. All of this was sacrificed as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God. 36 They also delivered the king's orders to the king's provincial administration assigned to the land beyond the Euphrates. They, in turn, gave their support to the people and The Temple of God.

Ezra 9 (The Message)

1 After all this was done, the leaders came to me and said, "The People of Israel, priests and Levites included, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring people around here with all their vulgar obscenities - Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, Amorites. 2 They have given some of their daughters in marriage to them and have taken some of their daughters for marriage to their sons. The holy seed is now all mixed in with these other peoples. And our leaders have led the way in this betrayal." 3 When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair from my head and out of my beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled. 4 Many were in fear and trembling because of what God was saying about the betrayal by the exiles. They gathered around me as I sat there in despair, waiting for the evening sacrifice. 5 At the evening sacrifice I picked myself up from my utter devastation, and in my ripped clothes and cape fell to my knees and stretched out my hands to God, my God. 6 And I prayed: 7 We've been stuck in a muck of guilt since the time of our ancestors until right now; we and our kings and priests, because of our sins, have been turned over to foreign kings, to killing, to captivity, to looting, and to public shame - just as you see us now. 8 "Now for a brief time God, our God, has allowed us, this battered band, to get a firm foothold in his holy place so that our God may brighten our eyes and lighten our burdens as we serve out this hard sentence. 9 We were slaves; yet even as slaves, our God didn't abandon us. He has put us in the good graces of the kings of Persia and given us the heart to build The Temple of our God, restore its ruins, and construct a defensive wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 "And now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For we have thrown your commands to the wind, 11 the commands you gave us through your servants the prophets. They told us, 'The land you're taking over is a polluted land, polluted with the obscene vulgarities of the people who live there; they've filled it with their moral rot from one end to the other. 12 Whatever you do, don't give your daughters in marriage to their sons nor marry your sons to their daughters. Don't cultivate their good opinion; don't make over them and get them to like you so you can make a lot of money and build up a tidy estate to hand down to your children.' 13 And now this, on top of all we've already suffered because of our evil ways and accumulated guilt, even though you, dear God, punished us far less than we deserved and even went ahead and gave us this pres- ent escape. 14 Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your commandments by intermarrying with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the point of wiping us out completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? 15 You are the righteous God of Israel. We are, right now, a small band of escapees. Look at us, openly standing here, guilty before you. No one can last long like this."

Ezra 10 (The Message)

1 Ezra wept, prostrate in front of The Temple of God. As he prayed and confessed, a huge number of the men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. All the people were now weeping as if their hearts would break. 2 Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam, acting as spokesman, said to Ezra: "We betrayed our God by marrying foreign wives from the people around here. But all is not lost; there is still hope for Israel. 3 Let's make a covenant right now with our God, agreeing to get rid of all these wives and their children, just as my master and those who honor God's commandment are saying. It's what The Revelation says, so let's do it. 4 "Now get up, Ezra. Take charge - we're behind you. Don't back down." 5 So Ezra stood up and had the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel solemnly swear to do what Shecaniah proposed. And they did it. 6 Then Ezra left the plaza in front of The Temple of God and went to the home of Jehohanan son of Eliashib where he stayed, still fasting from food and drink, continuing his mourning over the betrayal by the exiles. 7 A notice was then sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem ordering all the exiles to meet in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who failed to show up in three days, in compliance with the ruling of the leaders and elders, would have all his possessions confiscated and be thrown out of the congregation of the returned exiles. 9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin met in Jerusalem within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. They all sat down in the plaza in front of The Temple of God. Because of the business before them, and aggravated by the buckets of rain coming down on them, they were restless, uneasy, and anxious. 10 Ezra the priest stood up and spoke: "You've broken trust. You've married foreign wives. You've piled guilt on Israel. 11 Now make your confession to God, the God of your ancestors, and do what he wants you to do: Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives." 12 The whole congregation responded with a shout, "Yes, we'll do it - just the way you said it!" 13 They also said, "But look, do you see how many people there are out here? And it's the rainy season; you can't expect us to stand out here soaking wet until this is done - why, it will take days! A lot of us are deeply involved in this transgression. 14 Let our leaders act on behalf of the whole congregation. Have everybody who lives in cities and who has married a foreign wife come at an appointed time, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city. We'll keep at this until the hot anger of our God over this thing is turned away." 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this. 16 So the exiles went ahead with the plan. Ezra the priest picked men who were family heads, each one by name. They sat down together on the first day of the tenth month to pursue the matter. 17 By the first day of the first month they had finished dealing with every man who had married a foreign wife. 18 Among the families of priests, the following were found to have married foreign wives: 19 They all promised to divorce their wives and sealed it with a handshake. For their guilt they brought a ram from the flock as a Compensation-Offering. 20 The family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 21 The family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 The family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah - that is, Kelita - Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the temple security guards: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 25 And from the other Israelites: The family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. 26 The family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27 The family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 28 The family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 The family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 30 The family of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 The family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 The family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 The family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. 38 The family of Binnui: Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 The family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All these had married foreign wives and some had also had children by them.