³⁷ Now my master ^(A)made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;

Intermarriage with Pagans

9 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not ^(A)separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, ^(B)with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. ² For they have ^(C)taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the ^(D)holy seed is ^(E)mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this ^[a]trespass.” ³ So when I heard this thing, ^(F)I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down ^(G)astonished.

⁴⁶ And Rebekah said to Isaac, ^(A)“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; ^(B)if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

² So Abraham said ^(A)to the oldest servant of his house, who ^(B)ruled over all that he had, “Please, ^(C)put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you ^(D)swear^[a] by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that ^(E)you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; ^4 (F)but you shall go ^(G)to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

⁵ And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”

⁶ But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there. ⁷ The Lord God of heaven, who ^(H)took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ^(I)‘To your ^[b]descendants I give this land,’ ^(J)He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. ⁸ And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then ^(K)you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” ⁹ So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

² that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they ^(A)took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.