Ezra 10:13 (DRB)

Passage

But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and we are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter,)

Nearby Context

Ezra 10:11 And now make confession to the Lord the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from your strange wives.

Ezra 10:12 And all the multitude answered and said with a loud voice: According to thy word unto us, so be it done.

Ezra 10:13 But as the people are many, and it is time of rain, and we are not able to stand without, and it is not a work of one day or two, (for we have exceedingly sinned in this matter,)

Ezra 10:14 Let rulers be appointed in all the multitude: and in all our cities, let them that have taken strange wives come at the times appointed, and with them the ancients and the judges of every city, until the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this sin.

Ezra 10:15 Then Jonathan the son of Azahel, and Jaasia the son of Thecua were appointed over this, and Mesollam and Sebethai, Levites, helped them:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "time", "rain", "able", "stand", "without", "exceedingly", and "sinned". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "time", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "And all the multitude answered and said..." into verse 14's "Let rulers be appointed in all the...", so "people" and "time" belong inside that flow. In Ezra context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "time" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.