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 bowing in prayer in front of the Temple, weeping and confessing these sins, a large group of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, weeping bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have broken faith with God by marrying foreign women, but even so there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now we must make a solemn promise to our God that we will send these women and their children away. We will do what you and the others who honor God's commands advise us to do. We will do what God's Law demands. 4 It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.”
5 So Ezra began by making the leaders of the priests, of the Levites, and of the rest of the people take an oath that they would do what Shecaniah had proposed. 6 Then he went from in front of the Temple into the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, and spent the night there grieving over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. He did not eat or drink anything.
7 A message was sent throughout Jerusalem and Judah that all those who had returned from exile were to meet in Jerusalem 8 by order of the leaders of the people. If any failed to come within three days, all their property would be confiscated, and they would lose their right to be members of the community. 9 Within the three days, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the men living in the territory of Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and assembled in the Temple square. It was raining hard, and because of the weather and the importance of the meeting everyone was trembling.
10 Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them. He said, “You have been faithless and have brought guilt on Israel by marrying foreign women. 11 Now then, confess your sins to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him. Separate yourselves from the foreigners living in our land and get rid of your foreign wives.”
12 The people shouted in answer, “We will do whatever you say.” 13 But they added, “The crowd is too big, and it's raining hard. We can't stand here in the open like this. This isn't something that can be done in one or two days, because so many of us are involved in this sin. 14 Let our officials stay in Jerusalem and take charge of the matter. Then let anyone who has a foreign wife come at a set time, together with the leaders and the judges of his city. In this way God's anger over this situation will be turned away.” 15 No one was opposed to the plan except Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who had the support of Meshullam and of Shabbethai, a Levite.
16 The returned exiles accepted the plan, so Ezra the priest appointed men from among the heads of the clans and recorded their names. On the first day of the tenth month they began their investigation, 17 and within the next three months they investigated all the cases of men with foreign wives.
The Men Who Had Foreign Wives
18 This is the list of the men who had foreign wives:
Priests, listed by clans:Clan of Joshua and his brothers, sons of Jehozadak: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They promised to divorce their wives, and they offered a ram as a sacrifice for their sins.
20 Clan of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah
21 Clan of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah
22 Clan of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah
23 Levites:Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer
24 Musicians:Eliashib
Temple guards:Shallum, Telem, and Uri
25 Others:Clan of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah
26 Clan of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah
27 Clan of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza
28 Clan of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai
29 Clan of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth
30 Clan of Pahath Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh
31-32 Clan of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah
33 Clan of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei
34-37 Clan of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu
38-42 Clan of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph
43 Clan of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah
44 All these men had foreign wives. They divorced them and sent them and their children away.