In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

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

And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath 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 for yourselves!

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

And one 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.

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;

Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.