1tn Heb “with much weeping.” 2tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew MSS, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate עֵילָם (’elam, “Elam”) rather than the reading עוֹלָם (’olam, “eternity”) found in the MT. 3tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18. 4tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.” 5tn Heb “upon this.” 6tn Heb “cut.” 7tn 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. 8tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.” 9tn Heb “to do according to this plan.” 10tc The translation reads וַיָּלֶן (vayyalen, “and he stayed”) rather than the reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “and he went”) of the MT. Cf. the LXX. 11tn Heb “voice.” 12tn Heb “they sent.” 13map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 14tn Heb “the peoples of the land.” 15tn Heb “thus according to your word [singular = Qere] concerning us, to do.” 16tn Heb “the time [is] rain showers.” 17tn Heb “stand.” 18tn Heb “stood.” 19tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbad’lu, “were separated”) of the MT. 20tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.” 21tn Heb “found.” 22tn Heb “hand.” 23tc The translation reads with many medieval Hebrew MSS and ancient versions וּמִבְּנֵי (umibb’ne, “and from the sons of”) rather than the reading ubene (“and the sons of”) found in the MT. 24tn The name “Bani” appears in both v. 29 and v. 34. One of these names has probably undergone alteration in the transmission process, but it is not clear exactly where the problem lies or how it should be corrected. 25tc The translation reads וּמִבְּנֵי בִנּוּי (umibb’ney vinnuy, “and from the sons of Binnui”) rather than the reading וּבָנִי וּבִנּוּי (uvani uvinnuy, “and Bani and Binnui”) of the MT. 26tc The final statement in v. 44 is difficult in terms of both its syntax and its meaning. The present translation attempts to make sense of the MT. But the passage may have undergone corruption in the transmission process. One proposal is that the text should be emended to read “and they sent these wives and children away” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV).
1tn Heb “with much weeping.”
2tc The translation reads with the Qere, many medieval Hebrew MSS, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate עֵילָם (’elam, “Elam”) rather than the reading עוֹלָם (’olam, “eternity”) found in the MT.
3tn Heb “in that we have given a dwelling to.” So also in vv. 14, 17, 18.
4tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.”
5tn Heb “upon this.”
6tn Heb “cut.”
7tn 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.
8tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”
9tn Heb “to do according to this plan.”
10tc The translation reads וַיָּלֶן (vayyalen, “and he stayed”) rather than the reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “and he went”) of the MT. Cf. the LXX.
11tn Heb “voice.”
12tn Heb “they sent.”
13map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
14tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”
15tn Heb “thus according to your word [singular = Qere] concerning us, to do.”
16tn Heb “the time [is] rain showers.”
17tn Heb “stand.”
18tn Heb “stood.”
19tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּבְדֵּל לוֹ (vayyavdel lo, “separated for himself”) rather than the Niphal plural וַיִּבָּדְלוּ (vayyibbad’lu, “were separated”) of the MT.
20tn Heb “the heads of the fathers, to the house of their fathers, and all of them by name.”
21tn Heb “found.”
22tn Heb “hand.”
23tc The translation reads with many medieval Hebrew MSS and ancient versions וּמִבְּנֵי (umibb’ne, “and from the sons of”) rather than the reading ubene (“and the sons of”) found in the MT.
24tn The name “Bani” appears in both v. 29 and v. 34. One of these names has probably undergone alteration in the transmission process, but it is not clear exactly where the problem lies or how it should be corrected.
25tc The translation reads וּמִבְּנֵי בִנּוּי (umibb’ney vinnuy, “and from the sons of Binnui”) rather than the reading וּבָנִי וּבִנּוּי (uvani uvinnuy, “and Bani and Binnui”) of the MT.
26tc The final statement in v. 44 is difficult in terms of both its syntax and its meaning. The present translation attempts to make sense of the MT. But the passage may have undergone corruption in the transmission process. One proposal is that the text should be emended to read “and they sent these wives and children away” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV).