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The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.

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They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry(A) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

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16 Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods.

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16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives(A) for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods,(B) they will lead your sons to do the same.

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You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.

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Do not intermarry with them.(A) Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods,(B) and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy(C) you.

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12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

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12 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them(A) and associate with them,(B) 13 then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out(C) these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares(D) and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,(E) until you perish from this good land,(F) which the Lord your God has given you.

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The Temple of the Living God

14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil[a]? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them
    and walk among them.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 6:15 Greek Beliar; various other manuscripts render this proper name of the devil as Belian, Beliab, or Belial.
  2. 6:16 Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27.

Warning Against Idolatry

14 Do not be yoked together(A) with unbelievers.(B) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?(C) 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]?(D) Or what does a believer(E) have in common with an unbeliever?(F) 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?(G) For we are the temple(H) of the living God.(I) As God has said:

“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”[b](J)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove,[a] some of the men defiled themselves by having[b] sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.

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Footnotes

  1. 25:1a Hebrew Shittim.
  2. 25:1b As in Greek version; Hebrew reads some of the men began having.

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,(A) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality(B) with Moabite(C) women,(D) who invited them to the sacrifices(E) to their gods.(F) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to(G) the Baal of Peor.(H) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

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32 “Make no treaties with them or their gods. 33 They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.”

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32 Do not make a covenant(A) with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare(B) to you.”

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33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

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33 Do not be misled:(A) “Bad company corrupts good character.”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 15:33 From the Greek poet Menander

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

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Love in Action

Love must be sincere.(A) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.(B)

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“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first![a]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:4 Greek You have lost your first love.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(A)

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32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

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32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,(A) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve(B) of those who practice them.

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11 Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.

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11 Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable(A) thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves(B) by marrying(C) women who worship a foreign god.(D)

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21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

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21 Do I not hate those(A) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(B) those who are in rebellion against you?

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