Study Desk

In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.^(al)

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.^[d](am)

I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair.^(an) I forced them to take an oath^(ao) before God and said: "You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves!^(ap)

Didn't King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.^(aq)

Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?"^(ar)

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest,^(as) had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite.^(at) So I drove him away from me.^(au)

Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.^(av)

So I purified them from everything foreign^(aw) and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.^(ax)

I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits.^(ay) Remember me, my God, with favor.^(az)