The Plague of Israel

25 When Israel dwelled in Shittim, the people began to prostitute^[a] themselves with the daughters of Moab. ² And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and worshiped their gods. ³ So Israel was joined together to Baal Peor, and Yahweh became angry^[b] with Israel.

⁴ And they took^[a] for themselves Moabite wives. The name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

Solomon’s Foreign Wives

11 King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite;

⁸ And Shaharaim fathered children in the fields of Moab after he had sent them away—Hushim and Baara, his wives.

Disdain Over Mixed Marriages

9 After finishing these things the officials approached me saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated from the people of the lands with their detestable things, and from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.

² For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and their sons. So the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the officials and prefects were foremost in this sin.