25I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.
27Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?
28One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
29Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30Thus cleansed I them from all foreigners, and appointed charges for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;
31and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
