So I contendedwith them and cursedthem and strucksomeof them and pulledout their hair,and made them swearby God,"You shall not giveyour daughtersto their sons,nortakeof their daughtersfor your sonsor for yourselves.
When he lookedbehindhim and sawthem, he cursedthem in the nameof the LORD.Then twofemale bearscameout of the woodsand toreup forty-twoladsof their number.
Then Ezraroseand made the leadingpriests,the Levitesand allIsrael,takeoaththat they would doaccording to thisproposal;so they tookthe oath.
"Whoeverwill not observethe lawof your Godand the lawof the king,let judgmentbe executedupon him strictly,whetherfor deathorfor banishmentorfor confiscationof goodsor for imprisonment."
So I reprimandedthe officialsand said,"Whyis the houseof Godforsaken?"Then I gatheredthem together and restoredthem to their posts.
Then I reprimandedthe noblesof Judahand saidto them, "Whatis thisevilthingyou are doing,by profaningthe sabbathday?
As for their children,halfspokein the languageof Ashdod,and noneof them was ableto speakthe languageof Judah,but the languageof his ownpeople.
I alsoshookout the frontof my garmentand said,"Thusmay Godshakeout everymanfrom his houseand from his possessionswhodoes not fulfillthispromise;even thusmay he be shakenout and emptied."And allthe assemblysaid,"Amen!"And they praisedthe LORD.Then the peopledidaccording to thispromise.
Then I was veryangrywhenI had heardtheir outcryand thesewords.
Burningindignationhas seizedme becauseof the wicked,Who forsakeYour law.
In whose eyesa reprobateis despised,But who honorsthose who fearthe LORD;He swearsto his own hurtand does not change;
and you might takesomeof his daughtersfor your sons,and his daughtersmight playthe harlotwith their godsand cause your sons[also] to playthe harlotwith their gods.
Those who forsakethe lawpraisethe wicked,But those who keepthe lawstrivewith them.
I gaveMy backto those who strike[Me], And My cheeksto those who pluckout the beard;I did not coverMy facefrom humiliationand spitting.
"You shall fear[only] the LORDyour God;and you shall worshipHim and swearby His name.
"Furthermore, you shall not intermarrywith them; you shall not giveyour daughtersto their sons,norshall you taketheir daughtersfor your sons.
"For ifyou evergobackand clingto the restof thesenations,thesewhich remainamongyou, and intermarrywith them, so that you associatewith them and they with you,
