Ezra 9:12

9:12 Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children ¹  forever.’

Ezra 10:3

10:3 Therefore let us enact ²  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ³  and that of those who respect ⁴  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

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¹ tn Heb “sons”; cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT “children”; NCV, TEV “descendants.”

² tn Heb “cut.”

³ tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.

⁴ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”