Israel’s Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves^(A) from the surrounding peoples whose detestable practices^(B) are like those of the Canaanites, Hethites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.^{(C) 2} Indeed, the Israelite men^[a] have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed^(D) has become mixed with the surrounding peoples.^(E) The leaders^[b] and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!” ^(F)

²³ In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.^{(A) 24} Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.^{[a](B) 25} I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair.^(C) I forced them to take an oath^(D) before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves!^{(E) 26} Didn’t King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.^{(F) 27} Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?” ^(G)