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. 26 (G)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? (H)Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was (I)beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and (J)act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 And one of the sons of (K)Jehoiada, the son of (L)Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of (M)Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. 29 (N)Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood (O)and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

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23 About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. 25 So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear in the name of God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land.

26 “Wasn’t this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?” I demanded. “There was no king from any nation who could compare to him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by his foreign wives. 27 How could you even think of committing this sinful deed and acting unfaithfully toward God by marrying foreign women?”

28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my presence.

29 Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the solemn vows of the priests and Levites.

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