25And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
26Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.
27Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?
28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: so I sent him away from me.
29Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.
30So I made them clean from all strange people, and had regular watches fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;
31And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.
