²³ In those days also I saw the Jews ^(A)who had married women ^(B)of Ashdod, ^(C)Ammon, and ^(D)Moab. ²⁴ And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. ^25 (E)And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. ^(F)And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

^12 (A)Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land ^(B)and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’

¹¹ Judah has been ^(A)faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For ^(B)Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

9 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the ^(A)Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands ^(B)with their abominations, from the ^(C)Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

²¹ And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long ^(A)will you go limping between two different opinions? ^(B)If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

^24 (A)“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^(B)money.^[a]