1 Then rising from the court of the Hĕyḵal, Ezra went to the room of Yoḥanan the son of Elyashiḇ,
2 and remained there, and ate no bread nor drank water, mourning for the great wickednesses of the multitude.
3 And there was a call in all Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim to all those who were of the captivity, that they should be gathered together at Yerushalayim;
4 and that whoever did not meet there within two or three days according to when the ruling elders appointed, their cattle should be seized for the use of the Hĕyḵal, and himself thrown out from those who were of the captivity.
5 And in three days, all those of the tribe of Yahuḏah and Binyamin were gathered together at Yerushalayim, the twentieth day of the ninth month.
6 And all the crowd sat shivering in the outer court of the Hĕyḵal because of the bad weather present.
7 So Ezra arose up, and said to them, “You have transgressed the Torah in marrying foreign wives, and so have increased the sins of Yisra’ĕl.
8 “And now in confessing, give esteem to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of our fathers,
9 and do His desire, and separate yourselves from the gentiles of the land, and from the foreign women.
10 Then the whole crowd spoke, and cried with a loud voice, “As you have spoken, so we shall do!
11 “But because the people are many, and it is bad weather, we cannot stand in the open, and this is not a work of a day or two, seeing our sin in this has spread far;
12 therefore let the rulers of the multitude stay, and let all those of our dwellings who have foreign wives come at the time appointed,
13 and the rulers and judges of every place with them, till we turn away the wrath of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 from us for this matter.”
14 Then Yahonathan son of Asah’ĕl and Yaḥzeyah son of Tiqwah opposed this matter upon them, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Lĕwite supported them.
15 But those who were of the captivity did according to all these matters.
16 And Ezra the kohĕn chose for himself the leaders of their families, all by name; and on the first day of the tenth month they sat together to examine the matter.
17 So the cases of those who held foreign wives was brought to an end on the first day of the first month.
18 And the kohenim who had come together, and found to have foreign wives were:
19 Of the sons of Yĕshua son of Yotsaḏaq, and his brothers; Ma’asĕyah and Eli’ezer, and Yariḇ and Geḏalyahu.
20 And they gave their hand to put away their wives and to offer rams to make atonement for their sins.
21 And of the sons of Immĕr; Ḥanani, and Zeḇaḏyah, and Ma’asĕyah, and Shemayah, and Yeḥi’ĕl, and Uzziyah.
22 And of the sons of Pashḥur; Elyo’ĕynai, Ma’asĕyah, Yishma’ĕl, and Nethan’ĕl, and Yozaḇaḏ and El’asah.
23 And of the Lĕwites: Yozaḇaḏ, and Shim’i, and Qĕlayah, who was called Qelita, and Pethaḥyah, and Yahuḏah, and Eli’ezer.
24 Of the qodesh singers: Elyashiḇ, and Zakkur.
25 Of the gatekeepers; Shallum, and Telem.
26 Of those of Yisra’ĕl, of the sons of Parosh: Ramyah, and Yizziyah, and Malkiyah, and Miyamin, and El’azar, and Malkiyah, and Benayah.
27 Of the sons of Ĕylam: Mattanyah, Zeḵaryah, and Aḇdi, and Yerĕmoth, and Ĕliyahu.
28 And of the sons of Zattu: Elyo’ĕynai, Elyashiḇ, Mattanyah, Yerĕmoth, and Zaḇaḏ, and Aziza.
29 Of the sons of Bĕḇai; Yahoḥanan, and Ḥananyah and Zabbai, and Athlai.
30 Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Aḏayah, Yashuḇ, She’al, and Ramoth.
31 And of the sons of Paḥath-Mo’aḇ; Aḏna, and Ma’asĕyah, Kelal, and Benayah, and Mattanyah, and Betsal’ĕl, Binnui, and Menashsheh.
32 And of the sons of Ḥarim; Eli’ezer and Yishshiyah, and Malkiyah, and Shemayah, and Shim’on.
33 And of the sons of Ḥashum; Mattenai, and Mattattah, and Zaḇaḏ, Eliphelet, and Yirmeyah, Menashsheh, and Shim’i.
34 And of the sons of Bani; Ma’aḏai, Amram, U’ĕl, Benayah, and Bĕḏeyah, and Wanyah, Merĕmoth, and Elyashiḇ, and Mattenai, Ya’asu, Bani, Binnui, Shim’i, Shelemyah, Nathan. And of the sons of Ezra; Shashai, Azar’ĕl, Azi’ĕl, Shemaryah, Amaryah, Yosĕph.
35 And of the sons of Neḇo; Mattithyah, Zaḇaḏ, Yaddu, Yo’ĕl, Benayah.
36 All these had taken foreign wives, and they put them away with their children.
37 And the kohenim and Lĕwites, and those who were of Yisra’ĕl, dwelt in Yerushalayim, and in the land on the first day of the seventh month; so the children of Yisra’ĕl were in their dwellings.
38 And the whole crowd came together with one accord into the open place of the qodesh porch toward the east;
39 and they spoke to Ezra the kohĕn and reader, to bring the Torah of Mosheh, that was given of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
40 So Ezra the chief kohĕn brought the Torah to the whole crowd from man to woman, and to all the kohenim, to hear the Torah on the first day of the seventh month.
41 And he read in the open court before the qodesh porch from morning to noon, before both men and women; and the crowd gave heed to the Torah.
42 And Ezra the kohĕn and reader of the Torah stood up on a wooden platform, which was made for that purpose.
43 And beside him stood Mattithyah, Shema, Anayah, Azaryah, Uriyah, Ḥilqiyah, Ma’asĕyah, on the right hand;
44 And on his left hand stood Peḏayah, Misha’ĕl, Malkiyah, Ḥashum, and Ḥashbaddanah and Zeḵaryah.
45 Then Ezra took the Book of the Torah before the crowd – for he sat esteemed at the head in the sight of them all –
46 and when he opened the Torah, they all stood straight up. So Ezra baraḵ 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim Most High, the Elohim of hosts, Almighty.
47 And all the people answered, “Amĕn!” And lifting up their hands they fell to the ground, and worshipped 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
48 Also Yĕshua, Bani, Shĕrĕḇyah, Yamin, Aqquḇ, Shabbethai, Hoḏiyah, Ma’asĕyah, and Qelita, Azaryah, and Yozaḇaḏ, and Ḥanan, Pelayah, the Lĕwites, taught the Torah of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, making them all to understand it.
49 Then the Governor spoke to Ezra the chief kohĕn and reader, and to the Lĕwites that taught the crowd, even to all, saying,
50 “This day is qodesh to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.” – For they all wept when they heard the Torah –
51 “Go then, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to those who have none;
52 for this day is qodesh to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and be not sorrowful; for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shall exalt you.”
53 So the Lĕwites proclaimed to all the people saying, “This day is qodesh to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄; do not be sorrowful.”
54 Then they went their way, every one to eat and drink, and be joyful, and to give portions to those who had none, and to rejoice;
55 because they understood the Words in which they were instructed, and for the reason they had been assembled.