Ezera unoluka maano e kupedza ndobolo dze njudzi
1 Kwakati Ezera akabhata etembezela, ezwileba milandu iye, elila ezwilashila pasi mbeli kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, kukazha mbunga we bathu be Iziraela, balume, bakadzi ne bana ngono bakankubunganila. Bakalila kunowisazogwadza. 2 Ngono Shekaniya nkololo wa Jehiele mmwe we zwizekugwana zwa Elamu, kabe eti kuna Ezera, “Takashaya kugalamoyo mu Ndzimu wedu nge kulobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga, be bathu batakabakidzana nabo. Ngono kuzhe kwa ikoko, kutjina kugalabgwe mu Iziraela. 3 Ngono ngwenu ngatithameni tjidumano ne Ndzimu tje kuti titate bakadzi ibaba ne bana babo, kuyendidzana ne ikumbuludzo tja she wangu ne tja ibabo banotja nlayo we Ndzimu wedu. Ngakuthamwe sekwa kuli iko mu nlayo. 4 Tola thambo, ngekuti nshingo uwo, kakale tinawe, sima ndizo uthame uijalo.”
5 Ezera wakamilika katola bapirisiti banolaula ne Balevi ne itjaba tje Iziraela kabatunisa kuti bathame tja lebgwa. Ngono bakatuna. 6 Ezera wakadwa pa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu kayenda ku ng'umba ya Jehohanani nkololo wa Eliyashibi. Ngono wakati ali ikoko, wakabe asingaje zojiwa asingang'we vula, nge kuti wakabe akadwilila nge kulila, ngobe bathu bakabuya kutapiwa bakabe basagalamoyo.
7 Zibiso yakadusiwa kukazibisiwa ntuthu wose we Juda ne Jerusalema kuti bose bakabuya kutapiwa bakubungane ku Jerusalema. 8 Ngono unokong'wa ngekuzha mu mazhuba matatu unowotolegwa zwija zwizwe zose, se tjidumano tje batungamili ne makulukota tjakadumaniwa, ngono unowodusiwa mu gubungano le bakabuya kutapiwa katatiwa. 9 Kwakati mu mazhuba matatu balume bose be nsha wa Juda ne wa Bhenjamini bakakubungana mu Jerusalema. Mu mwedzi we zhanalume ushwa mazhuba ali makumi mabili bathu bose bakabe baligele mu tjibata tjimbeli kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, betetemesiwa nge tjimo ne nge vula yakabe ina kwazo.
10 Ezera we mpirisiti wakamilika kabadwa kati, “Amuzobe ne kugalamoyo, makalobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga mupaphidza nlandu we Iziraela. 11 Ngono gwenu mu zwilebe milandu yenyu kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu benyu, ngono mu thame kuda kwawo. Mu zwithubukanye mu bathu be njudzi dzipoga bamakabapa nabo ne mu bakadzi benyu be njudzi dzipoga.”
12 Mbunga wose ukadabila nge hwi lipezhugwi uti, “Unolebesa takafanila thama sekwa unoleba. 13 Koga kuna bathu banjinji ipapa kakale tjibaka tje vula ina, ndizo atingame kuzhe, koga ikoku ate uli nshingo we zhuba ling'ompela kene mabili ngoti takathama nlandu nkulukulu kwazo. 14 Makulukota edu ngaamilile gubungano lose. Mmwe ne mmwe wakalobola nkadzi we ludzi gupoga azhe nge tjibaka tjakabigwa, azhe ne bakulu ne basumikilisi mu nzi nkulu mmwe ne mmwe, kuswikilila bushongola gwe Ndzimu wedu gunotjisa ngekwa ikoku gupela mutili.” 15 Jonatani nkololo wa Asahele na Jahazeya nkololo wa Tikiva ndibo koga bakabe basingadumane na itjetji, Meshulamu na Shabethayi we Nlevi bema nabo. 16 Ngono batapiwa bakashinga sekwalebgwa. Ezera we mpirisiti kashalula balume bakabe bali misholo ye misha kuyenda nge misha yabo ngono kakwala mazina abo. Mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we bugumi bakagala pasi bakashakisisa ngekwe ndebo iyeyi. 17 Ngono mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we kutanga bakapedza ngekwe ndebo ye balume bakalobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga.
Balume bakalobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga
18 Mu bakololo be bapirisiti bakabe bakalobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga:
Kudwa mu bakololo ba Jeshuwa nkololo wa Jozadaki ne banung'una babe: Maaseya na Eliezeri na Jaribu na Gedaliya. 19 Bakagadzabgwe kuthubukana ne bakadzi babo be njudzi dzipoga ngono bakadusa tjibhayilo tje nlandu nyundo bedusila nlandu wabo.
20 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Imeri ndi Hanani na Zebadiya.
21 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Harimu ndi Maaseya, Elija na Shemaya na Jehiele na Uziya.
22 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Phashuri ndi Eliyonayi na Ishimaele na Nethanele na Jozabadi na Eleasa.
23 Kudwa mu Balevi ndi Jozabadi na Shimeyi na Kelaya (limwe ili Kelita) na Pethahiya na Juda na Eliezeri.
24 Kudwa mu bambi ndi Eliyashibi.
Kudwa mu balisi be mikoba ndi Shalumu, Telemu na Uri.
25 Kudwa mu bamwe Baiziraela:
Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Paroshi ndi Ramiya na Iziya na Malikija na Mijamini na Eleazari na Malikija na Bhenaya.
26 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Elamu ndi Mataniya na Zekariya na Jehiele na Abudi na Jeremoti na Elija.
27 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Zatu ndi Eliyonayi na Eliyashibi na Mataniya na Jeremoti na Zabadi na Aziza.
28 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Bhebayi ndi Jehohanani na Hananiya na Zabhayi na Athilayi.
29 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Bhani ndi Meshulamu na Maluki na Adaya Jashubu na Sheale na Jeremoti.
30 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Pahatimoabu ndi Adina na Kelale na Bhenaya na Maaseya na Mataniya na Bhezaleli na Bhinuyi na Manase.
31 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Harimu ndi Eliezeri na Ishiya na Malikija na Shemaya na Simiyoni na 32 Bhenjamini na Maluki na Shemariya.
33 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Hashumu ndi Matenayi na Matata na Zabadi na Elifeleti na Jeremayi na Manase na Shimeyi.
34 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Bhani ndi Maadayi, Amuramu na Uyele 35 na Bhenaya na Bhedeya na Keluhi 36 na Vaniya na Meremoti na Eliyashibi 37 na Mataniya na Matenayi na Jaasu.
38 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Bhani na Bhinuyi ndi Shimeyi, 39 Shelemiya na Nathani na Adaya 40 na Makanadebayi na Shashayi na Sharayi 41 na Azarele na Shelemiya na Shemariya 42 na Shalumu na Amariya na Josefa.
43 Kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Nebo ndi Jeyele na Mathitiya na Zabadi na Zebina na Jadayi na Jowele na Bhenaya.
44 Bose ibaba ndibo bakabe bakalobola bakadzi be njudzi dzipoga, bamwe babo bakabe bana bana ne bakadzi ibaba.
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.