And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

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

And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, Ye have acted unfaithfully, and have taken foreign wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have trespassed, and have married strange women, to increase the guilt of Israel.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said to them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken foreign wives to increase the trespass of Israel.

And Ezra the priest riseth, and saith unto them, 'Ye, ye have trespassed, and ye settle strange women, to add to the guilt of Israel;

And Ezra the priest got to his feet and said to them, You have done wrong and taken strange women for your wives, so increasing the sin of Israel.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them: 'Ye have broken faith, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel.

And Ezra, the priest, rose up, and he said to them: "You have transgressed, and you have taken foreign wives, so that you added to the offenses of Israel.

And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to (g) increase the trespass of Israel.
(g) You have laid one sin on another.

And Ezra the priest stood up,.... In the midst of the assembly to make his speech, acquainting them with the reason of their meeting together:
and said unto them, ye have transgressed; the law of God in the following instance:
and have taken strange wives; of the people of the land and others, idolatrous persons:
to increase the trespass of Israel; to add to former iniquities, which had been the cause of the captivity.

Ezra the priest stood up, and said--Having fully represented the enormity of their sin and urged them to dissolve their unlawful connections, he was gratified by receiving a prompt acknowledgment of the justice of his reproof and a promise of compliance with his recommendation. But as the weather was ungenial and the defaulters were too numerous to be passed in review at one time, it was resolved that a commission should be appointed to examine into the whole matter. These commissioners, assisted by the judges and elders of the respective cities, made a minute investigation into every case, and after three months' labor completely removed all traces of the abuse. Doubtless, an adequate provision was made for the repudiated wives and children, according to the means and circumstances of the husbands.

Ezra then stood up and reproved the assembled multitude, saying: You have brought home (הושׁיב, comp. Ezra 10:2) strange wives to increase the trespass of Israel (comp. Ezra's confession, Ezra 9:6-15), and exhorted them to give glory to God and to do His pleasure, (viz.) to separate themselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. On תודה תּנוּ, comp. Joshua 7:19. Separation from the people of the land consisted, under the circumstances, in the dismissal of the strange wives.