1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it . 5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
6 ¶ Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
9 ¶ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. 10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
15 ¶ Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. 16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18 ¶ And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely , of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. 27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, 38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. 44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
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.