Ezra was weeping and repenting publicly. To be honest, this is something we would find embarrassing today. However, his actions attracted people around him to join in with the repenting. Rather than telling the people what to do, Ezra's actions draw the right solution out of the people. Shekaniah says that they should put things right. His father, Jehiel, may be the Jehiel mentioned in verse 26 of this chapter, and maybe Shekaniah was ashamed at his father's actions.
Ezra went away to fast and pray. Then all the people of Judah and Jerusalem were summoned to come to Jerusalem. Three days later they all gathered. The people were all greatly distressed, both because of their sin and because of the rain.
Ezra declared the sin of the people and called on them to get rid of their foreign wives. The people agreed, and then the practicalities were put in place. There is then a list of all those who had foreign wives. The numbers are in some ways surprisingly small.
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