No Mixed Marriages

But then the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.  For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons.  So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages.  To make matters worse, the officials and leaders are some of the worst offenders.”  (Ezra 9:1-2 NLT)