Let us take an oath to the Lord about this, that we will put away all our foreign wives, with their children,

The Expulsion of Foreign Wives

Then Ezra rose and went from the court of the temple to the chamber of Jehoha′nan the son of Eli′ashib,

and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from your foreign wives.”

so let the leaders of the multitude stay, and let all those in our settlements who have foreign wives come at the time appointed,

And the cases of the men who had foreign wives were brought to an end by the new moon of the first month.

Of the priests those who were brought in and found to have foreign wives were:

They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and to give rams in expiation of their error.

When a bitter fight resulted, and matters were turning out rather in favor of Anti′ochus, Arsinoë went to the troops with wailing and tears, her locks all disheveled, and exhorted them to defend themselves and their children and wives bravely, promising to give them each two minas of gold if they won the battle.

Therefore we have given orders that, as soon as this letter shall arrive, you are to send to us those who live among you, together with their wives and children, with insulting and harsh treatment, and bound securely with iron fetters, to suffer the sure and shameful death that befits enemies.

our harp has been laid low, our song has been silenced, and our rejoicing has been ended; the light of our lampstand has been put out, the ark of our covenant has been plundered, our holy things have been polluted, and the name by which we are called has been profaned; our free men have suffered abuse, our priests have been burned to death, our Levites have gone into captivity, our virgins have been defiled, and our wives have been ravished; our righteous men have been carried off, our little ones have been cast out, our young men have been enslaved and our strong men made powerless.