³⁰ We would not give ^(A)our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

^3 (A)Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.

¹⁶ and you take of ^(A)his daughters for your sons, and his daughters ^(B)play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.

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.

¹⁰ Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have ^[a]transgressed and ^[b]have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. ¹¹ Now therefore, ^(A)make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; ^(B)separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”

¹² Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do.

¹² Now therefore, ^(A)do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and ^(B)never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and ^(C)leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ ¹³ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God ^(D)have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, ¹⁴ should we ^(E)again break Your commandments, and ^(F)join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be ^(G)angry with us until You had ^[a]consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor?