The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
1 While Ezra was down on his knees in front of God's temple, praying with tears in his eyes and confessing the sins of the people of Israel, a large number of men, women, and children gathered around him and cried bitterly.
2 Shecaniah son of Jehiel from the family of Elam said:
Ezra, we have disobeyed God by marrying these foreign women. But there is still hope for the people of Israel, 3 if we follow your advice and the advice of others who truly respect the laws of God. We must promise God that we will divorce our foreign wives and send them away, together with their children.
4 Ezra, it's up to you to do something! We will support whatever you do. So be brave!
5 Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, the Levites, and everyone else in Israel swear that they would follow the advice of Shecaniah. 6 Then Ezra left God's temple and went to spend the night in the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. He felt sorry because of what the people had done, and he did not eat or drink a thing.
7-8 The officials and leaders sent a message to all who had returned from Babylonia and were now living in Jerusalem and Judah. This message told them to meet in Jerusalem within three days, or else they would lose everything they owned and would no longer be considered part of the people that had returned from Babylonia.
9 Three days later, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, everyone from Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and sat in the temple courtyard. It was a serious meeting, and they sat there, trembling in the rain.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and said:
You have broken God's Law by marrying foreign women, and you have made the whole nation guilty! 11 Now you must confess your sins to the Lord God of your ancestors and obey him. Divorce your foreign wives and don't have anything to do with the rest of the foreigners who live around here.
12 Everyone in the crowd shouted:
You're right! We will do what you say. 13 But there are so many of us, and we can't just stay out here in this downpour. A lot of us have sinned by marrying foreign women, and the matter can't be settled in only a day or two.
14 Why can't our officials stay on in Jerusalem and take care of this for us? Let everyone who has sinned in this way meet here at a certain time with leaders and judges from their own towns. If we take care of this problem, God will surely stop being so terribly angry with us.
15 Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were the only ones who objected, except for the two Levites, Meshullam and Shabbethai.
16 Everyone else who had returned from exile agreed with the plan. So Ezra the priest chose men who were heads of the families, and he listed their names. They started looking into the matter on the first day of the tenth month, 17 and they did not finish until the first day of the first month of the next year.
The Men Who Had Foreign Wives
18-19 Here is a list of the priests who had agreed to divorce their foreign wives and to sacrifice a ram as a sin offering:
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah from the family of Joshua son of Jozadak and his brothers; 20 Hanani and Zebadiah from the family of Immer; 21 Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from the family of Harim; 22 Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from the family of Pashhur.
23 Those Levites who had foreign wives were: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Eliashib, the musician, had a foreign wife.
These temple guards had foreign wives:
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Here is a list of the others from Israel who had foreign wives:
Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah from the family of Parosh;
26 Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah from the family of Elam;
27 Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza from the family of Zattu;
28 Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai from the family of Bebai;
29 Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth from the family of Bani;
30 Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh from the family of Pahath Moab;
31-32 Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah from the family of Harim;
33 Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei from the family of Hashum;
34-37 Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu from the family of Bani;
38-42 Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph from the family of Binnui;
43 Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah from the family of Nebo.
44 These men divorced their foreign wives, then sent them and their children away.
Tavoora ta Ruogyero Wayiro Ondena rota
1 Ondro Ezera kändite kate ugu mätu oye ndi takozi eṛobe mile Yekalu roya oko, lowa amba Yisaraele'bai ro manoàgoro, 'ditoko ro ndi ŋgàga be, otoyikalate gbikyi nda lomvosi, 'deyigwo liyine amba. 2 'Dooko Sekania ŋgwa Jiela ro ni käläsikala Elama ro yasi, atate Ezera ri ekye: “Mèpere ta taomaro Lu amaro roya te ago màgye 'ditoko atraro te, caoko yau ono mio'ba dri 'du orivoya Yisaraele ri. 3 Ka'do inye mi'de ma'ba tao'baro Lu amaro be 'ditoko kwoi ozone kovole ndi ŋgàga ànyaro yibe, oso tase mi ndi 'diazaka se kayibe ota Lu ro orona ago tavona edrena ämäri ono voro. Mi'ba ka'do ndi inye ota voro. 4 Miŋga, 'do orivoya losi miro, ago ama orivoya mikundu; ka'do inye nya'do mbararo ago mi'ba aye ri.”
5 'Dooko Ezera ŋgate, eto dri'bai kohanii ro, Lewe'bai ro ndi lidri cini Yisaraele ro robe o'bana te ruäṛune tase Sekania kusube ana oyene. Ndi ànya äṛuru te. 6 'Dooko Ezera narute ni Yekalu milesi, ago oyite zoya Jehonana ŋgwa Eliasiba ro roya, ago u'dute lau ŋgäkyi ana si, nda nya ŋga kote ago mvu gyi kpa kote; ugu liyite ta ta'diriako 'dise äṛube midiro kegoyibe kai rota.
7 Ayo tate Yerusalema ndi Yuda be yasi lidri se cini kegoyibe ni vomidiro yasi kai ri, ànyari kala ombine Yerusalema ya, 8 ota dri'bai lidri ro rosi ekye, ondro ka'do mano aza alo kesa kote u'du nätu ya, ŋga cini ndaro otopana ndi, ago nda andivona unina kote a'done alo aza gboko se kegobe kai ro. 9 'Dooko lidri cini Yuda ro ndi Benjamina robe mbiyikalate Yerusalema ya u'du nätu ya, u'du 'buteritu imba njidriesu rosi. Ago lidri cini rite goro Yekalu roya, lä'bilä'biro ta tase ono rota ago tana 'bu ka kpa u'di mbara.
10 Kohani Ezera edrete kuru atate ànyari ekye: “Nyà'dote ta'diriako, nyèzi taenji te ndra Yisaraele dri. 11 Ka'do inye nyèṛo takozi amiro OPI Lu zutui amiro ro ri yau, ago mìye ole ndaro, nyèlewe andivo amiro ni atrai se kayibe ori wari amaro ya kwoi resi, ago ni 'ditoko atraro amiro resi.”
12 'Dooko 'dicini zatadrite otre si ekye: “Ndi inye, Beṛo ämäri tase ono oyene.” 13 Oko ànya atayi kpate ekye: “Lidri orivoya amba, ago 'bu ka u'di amba; mä̀ni kote edrene vodäyiro ono ya nonye. Ago losi se ono ko losi u'du alo kode ritu ro; tana tase ono loci amba amaro te taenji 'desi ya. 14 Mi'ba dri'bai amaro katayi ta vo lidri cini roya. 'Dooko mi'ba 'dise cini kologyeyi 'ditoko atraro be iyi kikyiyi voaloya tuse aka'dabe si, tro dri'bai ndi vureope'bai 'bakici cini robe, oyena nonye si kyila Lu amaro ro ämädri ta tase ono rota anaruna ndi.” 15 Toto Jonatana ŋgwa Asaele ro ndi Jazeya ŋgwa Tikeva robe leyi ta ono koni, ago Mesulama ndi Sabetai Lewe'ba be 'deni ànya vosi.
16 'Dooko 'dise kegoyibe ni vomidiro yasi kai leyi tadri taora ono rote, kohani Ezera tope lidri teni dri'bai käläsikalai ro lakosi ago egyi ävuru ànyaro te. U'du käti imba 'butealo rosi oko, ànya etoyi vo taono ro uṛina te; 17 ago u'du käti imba käti rosi oko, ànya ndeyi ta vouṛiro 'dise cini kologyeyi 'ditoko atraro be tana te.
Mànoago se 'Ditoko Atraro be
18 Ŋgwaagoro Kohanii ro se logyeyi ditoko atraro be egyi te ba käläsikala voro oso nonye.
Käläsikala Jesua ndi ädrupii ndaro, ŋgwàagoro Jozadaka ro ro lakosi ni, Maseya, Eliezera, Jariba ndi Gedalia be. 19 Ànya äṛuyi andivo ànyaro te 'ditoko ànyaro onjine, ago ànya ozoyi timelegogo alodi te olone tori ro ta takozi ànyaro rota. 20 Käläsikala Imera ro yasi ni, Hanani ndi Zebadia be.
21 Käläsikala Harima ro yasi ni, Maseya, Eliya, Semaya, Jiela ndi Uzia be. 22 Käläsikala Pasura ro yasi ni, Elionai, Maseya, Isamaele, Netaniela, Jozabada ndi Elasa be. 23 Lewe'bai ro ni, Jozabada, Simei, Kelaya (se äzi kpa Kelita), Petahaya, Yuda, ndi Eliezera be. 24 Loŋgo oŋgo'bai ro ni, Eliasiba. Dereŋwa okwa'bai ro ni, Saluma, Telema, ndi Uri be. 25 Yisaraele'bai azaka lako si: Käläsikala Parosa ro yasi ni, Ramaya, Izaya, Malekija, Mijamina, Eleazara, Malekija ndi Benaya be.
26 Käläsikala Elama ro yasi ni, Matania, Zekaria, Jiela, Abedi, Jeremota ndi Eliya be. 27 Käläsikala Zatu ro yasi ni, Elionai, Eliasiba, Matania, Jeremota, Zabada ndi Aziza be. 28 Käläsikala Bebai ro yasi ni, Jehonana, Anania, Zabai ndi Atelai be.
29 Käläsikala Bani ro yasi ni, Mesulama, Maluka, Adaya, Jesuba, Seala ndi Jeremota be. 30 Käläsikala Pahata Moaba ro yasi ni, Adena, Kelala, Benaya, Maseya, Matania, Bezalela, Binui ndi Manase be. 31 Käläsikala Arima ro yasi ni, Eliezera, Isija, Malekija, Semaya, Simeona, 32 Benjamina, Maluka ndi Semiraya be.
33 Käläsikala Asuma ro yasi ni, Matenai, Matata, Zabada, Elifeleta, Jeremai, Manase ndi Simei be. 34 Käläsikala Bani ro yasi ni, Madai, Amerama, Uyela, 35 Benaya, Bedaya, Kelui, 36 Vanaya, Meremota, Eliasiba, 37 Matania, Matenai ndi Jasu be.
38 Käläsikala Binui ro yasi ni, Simei, 39 Selemaya, Natana, Adaya, 40 Makenadebai, Sasai, Sarai, 41 Azarela, Selemaya, Semaraya, 42 Saluma, Amaraya ndi Yosepa be. 43 Käläsikala Nebo ro yasi ni Jiela, Matatia, Zabada, Zebina, Jadai, Joela ndi Benaya be.
44 Se cini kwoi ni 'dise kogyeyi 'ditoko atraro be owo. Ànya onjiyi ànya te ago logoyi ànya te kovole ndi ŋgàga ànyaro yibe.