23 In those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

24 Half their children were speaking the language of Ashdod or some other place. They couldn’t speak the language of Judah.

25 I argued with those people. I put curses on them. I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I forced them to make a promise to God. I said, “Do not let your daughters marry the sons of foreigners. Do not take the daughters of foreigners as wives for your sons or yourselves.