o 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 God 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 God 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 God, there was gathered to him of Israel an
exceeding great assembly 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 God, 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 God, 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 God: 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 God, 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 assemble 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