Sic ergo orante Esdra, et implorante eo et flente, et jacente ante templum Dei, collectus est ad eum de Israël cœtus grandis nimis virorum et mulierum et puerorum, et flevit populus fletu multo.

While Esdras thus prayed for mercy, lying in tears before God’s temple, a great throng of Israelites gathered round him, men, women and children alike, and loud was their lament.

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.

Et respondit Sechenias filius Jehiel de filiis Ælam, et dixit Esdræ: Nos prævaricati sumus in Deum nostrum, et duximus uxores alienigenas de populis terræ: et nunc, si est pœnitentia in Israël super hoc,

At last Sechenias the son of Jehiel, of Aelam’s clan, said to him, We have offended our God by marrying foreign wives, women of the neighbouring peoples; but is there no hope of pardon for Israel?

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,

percutiamus fœdus cum Domino Deo nostro, ut projiciamus universas uxores, et eos qui de his nati sunt, juxta voluntatem Domini, et eorum qui timent præceptum Domini Dei nostri: secundum legem fiat.

Come, let us make a covenant with the Lord our God; let us send away these wives, and the children born of them. That is the Lord’s counsel; that is the counsel of all who reverence his commands; let the law be obeyed!

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.

Surge, tuum est decernere, nosque erimus tecum: confortare, et fac.

With thee, Esdras, the decision rests; count on our obedience; up, and go boldly about thy task.

Arise, it is thy part to give orders, and we will be with thee: take courage, and do it.

Surrexit ergo Esdras, et adjuravit principes sacerdotum et Levitarum, et omnem Israël, ut facerent secundum verbum hoc: et juraverunt.

So Esdras rose up, and bound them by an oath, priests, Levites, and common folk, to do their part.

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.

Et surrexit Esdras ante domum Dei, et abiit ad cubiculum Johanan filii Eliasib, et ingressus est illuc: panem non comedit, et aquam non bibit: lugebat enim transgressionem eorum, qui venerant de captivitate.

Then, leaving the temple fore-court, he betook himself to Johanan’s lodging, that was son of Eliasib; but here too he would neither eat nor drink, so bitterly he grieved over the restored exiles and their faithlessness.

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.

Et missa est vox in Juda et in Jerusalem omnibus filiis transmigrationis, ut congregarentur in Jerusalem:

And now word went round Juda and Jerusalem, that all those who had returned from captivity must meet together in the city;

And proclamation was made in Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble together into Jerusalem.

et omnis qui non venerit in tribus diebus juxta consilium principum et seniorum, auferetur universa substantia ejus, et ipse abjicietur de cœtu transmigrationis.

it had been decreed by the rulers and the elders that any man who did not appear there within three days should be deprived of all his goods and should be cut off from the restored community.

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 away, and he should be cast out of the company of them that were returned from captivity.

Convenerunt igitur omnes viri Juda et Benjamin in Jerusalem tribus diebus: ipse est mensis nonus, vigesimo die mensis: et sedit omnis populus in platea domus Dei, trementes pro peccato, et pluviis.

Meet together they did, all the men of Juda and Benjamin, within the three days prescribed (that is, on the twentieth day of the ninth month), at Jerusalem. There they sat, a whole people, in the open space before the house of God, their spirits cowed by guilt, and by the rain that was falling.

Then all the men of Juda, and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within three days, in the ninth month, the twentieth day of the month: and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of the sin, and the rain.

Et surrexit Esdras sacerdos, et dixit ad eos: Vos transgressi estis, et duxistis uxores alienigenas, ut adderetis super delictum Israël.

And the priest Esdras rose up and spoke to them. There is guilt among you, he said; by mating with aliens you have made the reckoning against Israel heavier yet.

And Esdras the priest stood up, and said to them: You have transgressed, and taken strange wives, to add to the sins of Israel.

Et nunc date confessionem Domino Deo patrum vestrorum, et facite placitum ejus, et separamini a populis terræ, et ab uxoribus alienigenis.

Confess your fault to the Lord God of your fathers, and obey his will; separate yourselves from the peoples that live around you, from the foreign wives you have married.

And now make confession to the Lord the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from your strange wives.

Et respondit universa multitudo, dixitque voce magna: Juxta verbum tuum ad nos, sic fiat.

At that, the whole multitude gave a loud cry, At thy bidding it shall be done!

And all the multitude answered and said with a loud voice: According to thy word unto us, so be it done.

Verumtamen quia populus multus est, et tempus pluviæ, et non sustinemus stare foris, et opus non est diei unius vel duorum (vehementer quippe peccavimus in sermone isto),

Only, because the throng was so great, and it was the rainy season, when there was no standing out of doors, because their task could not be performed in one day or two, so many were the faults thus committed,

But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and we are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter,)

constituantur principes in universa multitudine: et omnes in civitatibus nostris qui duxerunt uxores alienigenas veniant in temporibus statutis, et cum his seniores per civitatem et civitatem, et judices ejus, donec avertatur ira Dei nostri a nobis super peccato hoc.

they would have their rulers go bail for the rest. Then, in each township, those who had married alien wives should meet the elders and judges of it at a fixed time, till at last no faults were left to earn their God’s vengeance.

Let rulers be appointed in all the multitude: and in all our cities, let them that have taken strange wives come at the times appointed, and with them the ancients and the judges of every city, until the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this sin.

Igitur Jonathan filius Azahel, et Jaasia filius Thecue, steterunt super hoc, et Messollam et Sebethai Levites adjuverunt eos:

So Jonathan, son of Azahel, and Jaasia, son of Thecue, took charge of this, with two Levites, Mesollam and Sebethai, to help them;

Then Jonathan the son of Azahel, and Jaasia the son of Thecua were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them:

feceruntque sic filii transmigrationis. Et abierunt Esdras sacerdos, et viri principes familiarum, in domos patrum suorum, et omnes per nomina sua, et sederunt in die primo mensis decimi ut quærerent rem.

and the restored exiles kept their word, and separated themselves. The priest Esdras, with the clan chiefs … family by family and man by man; they began making their enquiries on the first day of the tenth month,

And the children of the captivity did so. And Esdras the priest, and the men heads of the families in the houses of their fathers, and all by their names, went and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

Et consummati sunt omnes viri, qui duxerant uxores alienigenas, usque ad diem primam mensis primi.

and by the first day of the first month all the husbands of foreign wives had passed before them.

And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

Et inventi sunt de filiis sacerdotum qui duxerant uxores alienigenas. De filiis Josue filii Josedec, et fratres ejus, Maasia, et Eliezer, et Jarib, et Godolia.

Some members of the priestly families had made such marriages, … and his brothers, Maasia, Eliezer, Jarib and Godolia, sons of Josue, son of Josedec;

And there were found among the sons of the priests that had taken strange wives: Of the sons of Josue the son of Josedec, and his brethren, Maasia, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Godolia.

Et dederunt manus suas ut ejicerent uxores suas, et pro delicto suo arietem de ovibus offerrent.

all these engaged themselves to send their wives away and sacrifice a ram as an offering for fault.

And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock.

Et de filiis Emmer, Hanani, et Zebedia.

Besides these, there were Hanani and Zebedia, of Emmer’s family,

And of the sons of Emmer, Hanani, and Zebedia.

Et de filiis Harim, Maasia, et Elia, et Semeia, et Jehiel, et Ozias.

Maasia, Elia, Semeia, Jehiel and Ozias, of Harim’s,

And of the sons of Harim, Maasia, and Elia, and Semeia, and Jehiel, and Ozias.

Et de filiis Pheshur, Elioënai, Maasia, Ismaël, Nathanaël, Jozabed, et Elasa.

Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nathanael, Jozabed and Elasa, of Pheshur’s.

And of the sons of Pheshur, Elioenai, Maasia, Ismael, Nathanael, Jozabed, and Elasa.

Et de filiis Levitarum, Jozabed, et Semei, et Celaia, ipse est Calita, Phataia, Juda, et Eliezer.

The Levites were Jozabed, Semei, Celaia (or Calita), Phataia, Juda and Eliezer;

And of the sons of the Levites, Jozabed, and Semei, and Celaia, the same is Calita, Phataia, Juda, and Eliezer.

Et de cantoribus, Eliasib. Et de janitoribus, Sellum, et Telem, et Uri.

there was one of the singers, Eliasib, and three of the door-keepers, Sellum, Telem and Uri.

And of the singing men, Elisiab: and of the porters, Sellum, and Telem, and Uri.

Et ex Israël, de filiis Pharos, Remeia, et Jesia, et Melchia, et Miamin, et Eliezer, et Melchia, et Banea.

Of the common folk, there were Remeia, Jezia, Melchia, Miamin, Eliezer (Melchia), and Banea, of Pharo’s family;

And of Israel, of the sons of Pharos, Remeia, and Jezia, and Melchia, and Miamin, and Eliezer, and Melchia, and Banea.

Et de filiis Ælam, Mathania, Zacharias, et Jehiel, et Abdi, et Jerimoth, et Elia.

Mathania, Zacharias, Jehiel, Abdi, Jerimoth and Elia, of Aelam’s;

And of the sons of Elam, Mathania, Zacharias, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jerimoth, and Elia.

Et de filiis Zethua, Elioënai, Eliasib, Mathania, et Jerimuth, et Zabad, et Aziza.

Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Jerimuth, Zabad and Aziza, of Zethua’s;

And of the sons of Zethua, Elioenai, Eliasib, Mathania, Jerimuth, and Zabad, and Aziaza.

Et de filiis Bebai, Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai, Athalai.

Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai and Athalai, of Bebai’s;

And of the sons of Babai, Johanan, Hanania, Zabbai, Athalai:

Et de filiis Bani, Mosollam, et Melluch, et Adaia, Jasub, et Saal, et Ramoth.

Mosollam, Melluch, Adaia, Jasub, Saal and Ramoth, of Bani’s;

And of the sons of Bani, Mosollam, and Melluch, and Adaia, Jasub, and Saal, and Ramoth.

Et de filiis Phahath Moab, Edna, et Chalal, Banaias, et Maasias, Mathanias, Beseleel, Bennui, et Manasse.

Edna, Chalal, Banaias, Maasias, Mathanias, Beseleel, Bennui and Manasses, of Phahath-Moab’s.

And of the sons of Phahath, Moab, Edna, and Chalal, Banaias, and Maasias, Mathanias, Beseleel, Bennui, and Manasse.

Et de filiis Herem, Eliezer, Josue, Melchias, Semeias, Simeon,

Of Herem’s family there were Eliezer, Josue, Melchias, Semeias, Simeon,

And of the sons of Herem, Eliezer, Josue, Melchias, Semeias, Simeon,

Benjamin, Maloch, Samarias.

Benjamin, Maloch and Samarias,

Benjamin, Maloch, Samarias.

Et de filiis Hasom, Mathanai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasse, Semei.

and of Hasom’s, Mathanai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasses and Semei.

And of the sons of Hasom, Mathanai, Mathatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jermai, Manasse, Semei.

De filiis Bani, Maadi, Amram, et Vel,

Of Bani’s family there were Maaddi, Amram, Uel,

Of the sons of Bani, Maaddi, Amram, and Uel,

Baneas, et Badaias, Cheliau,

Baneas, Badaias, Cheliau,

Baneas, and Badaias, Cheliau,

Vania, Marimuth, et Eliasib,

Vania, Marimuth, Eliasib,

Vania, Marimuth, and Eliasib,

Mathanias, Mathanai, et Jasi,

Mathanias, Mathanai, Jasi,

Mathanias, Mathania, and Jasi,

et Bani, et Bennui, Semei,

Bani, Bennui, Semei,

And Bani, and Bennui, Semei,

et Salmias, et Nathan, et Adaias,

Salmias, Nathan, Adaias,

And Salmias, and Nathan, and Adaias,

et Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai,

Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai,

And Mechnedebai, Sisai, Sarai,

Ezrel, et Selemiau, Semeria,

Ezrel, Selemiau, Semeria,

Ezrel, and Selemiau, Semeria,

Sellum, Amaria, Joseph.

Sellum, Amaria and Joseph.

Sellum, Amaria, Joseph.

De filiis Nebo, Jehiel, Mathathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, et Joël, et Banaia.

Of Nebo’s family, Jehiel, Mathathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, Joel and Banaia.

Of the sons of Nebo, Jehiel, Mathathias, Zabad, Zabina, Jeddu, and Joel, and Banaia.

Omnes hi acceperant uxores alienigenas, et fuerunt ex eis mulieres, quæ pepererant filios.

All these had taken foreign wives, some of whom had already given birth to children.

All these had taken strange wives, and there were among them women that had borne children.