וַיַּעַן֩ שְׁכַנְיָ֨ה בֶן־יְחִיאֵ֜ל מִבְּנֵ֤י עולם [עֵילָם֙] וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֶזְרָ֔א אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ מָעַ֣לְנוּ בֵאלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וַנֹּ֛שֶׁב נָשִׁ֥ים נָכְרִיּ֖וֹת מֵעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵשׁ־מִקְוֶ֥ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־זֹֽאת׃
Lalu Sekhanya bin Yehiel, dari bani Elam, menanggapi dan berkata kepada Ezra: “Kami telah berlaku tidak setia terhadap Allah kami dengan mengambil perempuan-perempuan asing dari bangsa-bangsa negeri ini menjadi istri. Namun sekarang masih ada harapan bagi Israel dalam hal ini.
Duties of the Heart
(5) When the humble man rebukes himself, exacts the Creator's justice upon himself of his own initiative, and voluntarily submits to it, even though no human authority has the power to enforce it - this points to his true humility before G-d as well as his lowliness and submission to Him, as written: "We have trespassed against our G-d, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land" (Ezra 10:2), and "they gave their hand to send away their wives" (Ezra 10:19).