23 Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had marriedu women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.v 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the languagew of Judah. 25 I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oathx in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.y 26 Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.z He was loved by his God,a and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.b 27 Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marryingc foreign women?”

28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashibd the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballate the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

29 Rememberf them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.g

30 So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,h and assigned them duties, each to his own task.