8:32. And we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there three days.
8:33. And on the fourth day the silver and the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the house of our G.o.d by the hand of Meremoth the son of Urias the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them Jozabad the son of Josue, and Noadaia the son of Benoi, Levites.
8:34. According to the number and weight of everything: and all the weight was written at that time.
8:35. Moreover the children of them that had been carried away that were come out of the captivity, offered holocausts to the G.o.d of Israel, twelve calves for all the people of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy- seven lambs, and twelve he goats for sin: all for a holocaust to the Lord.
8:36. And they gave the king"s edicts to the lords that were from the king"s court, and the governors beyond the river, and they furthered the people and the house of G.o.d.
1 Esdras Chapter 9
Esdras mourneth for the transgression of the people: his confession and prayer.
9:1. And after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, saying: The people of Israel, and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations, namely, of the Chanaanites, and the Hethites, and the Pherezites, and the Jebusites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and the Egyptians, and the Amorrhites.
This shows how sinful it is to intermarry with those that the Church forbids us, on account of the danger of perversion and falling off from the true faith.
9:2. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands.
And the hand of the princes and magistrates hath been first in this transgression.
9:3. And when I had heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and plucked off the hairs of my head and my beard, and I sat down mourning.
9:4. And there were a.s.sembled to me all that feared the G.o.d of Israel, because of the transgression of those that were come from the captivity, and I sat sorrowful, until the evening sacrifice.
9:5. And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my affliction, and having rent my mantle and my garment, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord my G.o.d,
9:6. And said: My G.o.d I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to thee: for our iniquities are multiplied over our heads, and our sins are grown up even unto heaven,
9:7. From the days of our fathers: and we ourselves also have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we and our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.
9:8. And now as a little, and for a moment has our prayer been made before the Lord our G.o.d, to leave us a remnant, and give us a pin in his holy place, and that our G.o.d would enlighten our eyes, and would give us a little life in our bondage.
A pin... or nail, here signifies a small settlement or holding; which Esdras begs for, to preserve even a part of the people, who, by their great iniquity had incurred the anger of G.o.d.
9:9. For we are bondmen, and in our bondage our G.o.d hath not forsaken us, but hath extended mercy upon us before the king of the Persians, to give us life, and to set up the house of our G.o.d, and to rebuild the desolations thereof, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem.
9:10. And now, O our G.o.d, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
9:11. Which thou hast commanded by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying: The land which you go to possess, is an unclean land, according to the uncleanness of the people, and of other lands, with their abominations, who have filled it from mouth to mouth with their filth.
9:12. Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, and take not their daughters for your sons, and seek not their peace, nor their prosperity for ever: that you may be strengthened, and may eat the good things of the land, and may have your children your heirs for ever.
9:13. And after all that is come upon us, for our most wicked deeds, and our great sin, seeing that thou our G.o.d hast saved us from our iniquity, and hast given us a deliverance as at this day,
9:14. That we should not turn away, nor break thy commandments, nor join in marriage with the people of these abominations. Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction, not to leave us a remnant to be saved?
9:15. O Lord G.o.d of Israel, thou art just: for we remain yet to be saved as at this day. Behold we are before thee in our sin, for there can be no standing before thee in this matter.
1 Esdras Chapter 10
Order is given for discharging strange women: the names of the guilty.
10:1. Now when Esdras was thus praying, and beseeching, and weeping, and lying before the temple of G.o.d, there was gathered to him of Israel an exceeding great a.s.sembly of men and women and children, and the people wept with much lamentation.
10:2. And Sechenias the son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam answered, and said to Esdras: We have sinned against our G.o.d, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: and now if there be repentance in Israel concerning this,
10:3. Let us make a covenant with the Lord our G.o.d, to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the will of the Lord, and of them that fear the commandment of the Lord our G.o.d: let it be done according to the law.
10:4. Arise, it is thy part to give orders, and we will be with thee: take courage, and do it.
10:5. So Esdras arose, and made the chiefs of the priests and of the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word, and they swore.
10:6. And Esdras rose up from before the house of G.o.d, and went to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliasib, and entered in thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity.
10:7. And proclamation was made in Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should a.s.semble together into Jerusalem.
10:8. And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the ancients, all his substance should be taken away, and he should be cast out of the company of them that were returned from captivity.
10:9. Then all the men of Juda, and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days, in the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month: and all the people sat in the street of the house of G.o.d, trembling because of the sin, and the rain.
10:10. And Esdras the priest stood up, and said to them: You have transgressed, and taken strange wives, to add to the sins of Israel.
10:11. And now make confession to the Lord the G.o.d of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from your strange wives.
10:12. And all the mult.i.tude answered and said with a loud voice: According to thy word unto us, so be it done.
10:13. But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and we are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter,)
10:14. Let rulers be appointed in all the mult.i.tude: and in all our cities, let them that have taken strange wives come at the times appointed, and with them the ancients and the judges of every city, until the wrath of our G.o.d be turned away from us for this sin.
10:15. Then Jonathan the son of Azahel, and Jaasia the son of Thecua were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them:
10:16. And the children of the captivity did so. And Esdras the priest, and the men heads of the families in the houses of their fathers, and all by their names, went and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
10:17. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
10:18. And there were found among the sons of the priests that had taken strange wives: Of the sons of Josue the son of Josedec, and his brethren, Maasia, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and G.o.dolia.
10:19. And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock.
10:20. And of the sons of Emmer, Hanani, and Zebedia.
10:21. And of the sons of Harim, Maasia, and Elia, and Semeia, and Jehiel, and Ozias.
10:22. And of the sons of Pheshur, Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nathanael, Jozabed, and Elasa.
10:23. And of the sons of the Levites, Jozabed, and Semei, and Celaia, the same is Calita, Phataia, Juda, and Eliezer.