²⁶ But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.^(A) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?

³⁴ you should answer, ‘Your servants^(A) have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’^(B) Then you will be allowed to settle^(C) in the region of Goshen,^(D) for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.^(E)”

³² They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews,^(A) for that is detestable to Egyptians.^(B)

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:

¹⁷ Therefore,

Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate^(A) from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,^(B) Ammonites,^(C) Moabites,^(D) Egyptians and Amorites.^(E)

¹³ The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon^(A) king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable^(B) god of the people of Ammon.^(C)

⁵ He followed Ashtoreth^(A) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek^(B) the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil^(C) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷ On a hill east^(D) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh^(E) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek^(F) the detestable god of the Ammonites.

³⁰ and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared^(A) by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”^{(B) 31} You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.^(C) They even burn their sons^(D) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.^(E)