Ezra 10
The People Confess Their Sin
1While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.
5So Ezra stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel swear that they would do as Shecaniah had said. And they all swore a solemn oath.
7Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should come to Jerusalem.
9Within three days, all the people of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. This took place on December 19,*10:9 Hebrew on the twentieth day of the ninth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was December 19, 458 b.c.; also see note on 6:15. and all the people were sitting in the square before the Temple of God. They were trembling both because of the seriousness of the matter and because it was raining.
12Then the whole assembly raised their voices and answered, “Yes, you are right; we must do as you say!”
15Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this course of action, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.
16So this was the plan they followed. Ezra selected leaders to represent their families, designating each of the representatives by name. On December 29,*10:16 Hebrew On the first day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was December 29, 458 b.c.; also see note on 6:15. the leaders sat down to investigate the matter.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
18These are the priests who had married pagan wives:
From the family of Jeshua son of Jehozadak*10:18 Hebrew Jozadak, a variant spelling of Jehozadak. and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
20From the family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21From the family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22From the family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23These are the Levites who were guilty: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24This is the singer who was guilty: Eliashib.
These are the gatekeepers who were guilty: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25These are the other people of Israel who were guilty:
From the family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah,*10:25 As in parallel text at 1 Esdras 9:26; Hebrew reads Malkijah. and Benaiah.
26From the family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27From the family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28From the family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29From the family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30From the family of Pahath-moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31From the family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
33From the family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34From the family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
38From the family of Binnui*10:37-38 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Jaasu, 38Bani, Binnui.: Shimei,
43From the family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44Each of these men had a pagan wife, and some even had children by these wives.*10:44 Or and they sent them away with their children. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
1 Corinthians 6
Avoiding Lawsuits with Christians
1When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers*6:1 Greek God’s holy people; also in 6:2.!
7Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?
9Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
Avoiding Sexual Sin
12You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
15Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!
18Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
9Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
Tears blur my eyes.
My body and soul are withering away.
10I am dying from grief;
my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;
I am wasting away from within.
11I am scorned by all my enemies
and despised by my neighbors—
even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
they run the other way.
12I am ignored as if I were dead,
as if I were a broken pot.
13I have heard the many rumors about me,
and I am surrounded by terror.
My enemies conspire against me,
plotting to take my life.
14But I am trusting you, O Lord,
saying, “You are my God!”
15My future is in your hands.
Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16Let your favor shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, rescue me.
17Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord,
for I call out to you for help.
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them lie silent in the grave.*31:17 Hebrew in Sheol.
18Silence their lying lips—
those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
3The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just
than when we offer him sacrifices.