Ezra 10:2-11

2Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “1We have been unfaithful to our God and have 2married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3So now 3let’s make a covenant with our God to send away all the wives and 45their children, following the counsel of 6my lord and of 7those who fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done 8according to the Law. 4Arise! For this matter is 9your responsibility, but we will be with you; 10be courageous and act.”

5Then Ezra stood and 11made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath that they would do according to this 12proposal; so they took the oath. 6Then Ezra 13rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, 14he did not eat bread nor drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7So they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they were to assemble at Jerusalem, 8and that whoever did not come within three days, in accordance with the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

9So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the public square before the house of God, 15trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11Now therefore, 16make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and 17do His will; and 18separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”