Nehemiah 13:23-29

International Children’s Bible

²³ In those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. ²⁴ Half their children were speaking the language of Ashdod or some other place. They couldn’t speak the language of Judah. ²⁵ I argued with those people. I put curses on them. I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I forced them to make a promise to God. I said, “Do not let your daughters marry the sons of foreigners. Do not take the daughters of foreigners as wives for your sons or yourselves. ²⁶ Foreign women made King Solomon of Israel sin. There was never a king like him in any of the nations. God loved Solomon. God made him king over all Israel. But foreign women made Solomon sin. ²⁷ And now you are not obedient when you do this evil thing. You are unfaithful to our God when you marry foreign wives.”

²⁸ Joiada was the son of Eliashib the high priest. One of Joiada’s sons married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, who was not a Jew. So I forced Joiada’s son away from me.

²⁹ Remember them, my God. They made the priesthood unclean. They made the agreement of the priests and Levites unclean.