³⁷ And my master made me swear an oath,^(A) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,^(B)

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) 2} They have taken some of their daughters^(F) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled^(G) the holy race^(H) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”^(I)

³ When I heard this, I tore^(J) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.^(K)

⁴⁶ Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite^(A) women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land,^(B) from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”^(C)

² He said to the senior servant^(A) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,^(B) “Put your hand under my thigh.^{(C) 3} I want you to swear^(D) by the Lord, the God of heaven^(E) and the God of earth,^(F) that you will not get a wife for my son^(G) from the daughters of the Canaanites,^(H) among whom I am living,^{(I) 4} but will go to my country and my own relatives^(J) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(K)”

⁵ The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?^(L) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?^(M)”

⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(N) Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven,^(O) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(P) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[a](Q) I will give this land’^(R)—he will send his angel before you^(S) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(T) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^{(U) 9} So the servant put his hand under the thigh^(V) of his master^(W) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

² the sons of God^(A) saw that the daughters^(B) of humans were beautiful,^(C) and they married^(D) any of them they chose.