9 And as soon as these things had been done, the princes approached me and said: “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their detestable practices,+ those of the Caʹnaan·ites, the Hitʹtites, the Perʹiz·zites, the Jebʹu·sites, the Amʹmon·ites, the Moʹab·ites, the Egyptians,+ and the Amʹor·ites.+ 2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons.+ Now they, the holy offspring,*+ have become mingled with the peoples of the lands.+ The princes and the deputy rulers have been the foremost offenders in this unfaithfulness.”

28 One of the sons of Joiʹa·da+ the son of E·liʹa·shib+ the high priest had become a son-in-law of San·balʹlat+ the Horʹo·nite. So I drove him away from me.

22 They should not take a widow or a divorced woman as a wife;+ but they may marry either a virgin of the offspring of Israel or the widow of a priest.’+

7 For the lips of a priest should safeguard knowledge, and people should seek the law* from his mouth,+ because he is the messenger of Jehovah of armies.

8 “But you yourselves have turned aside from the way. You have made many stumble with regard to the law.*+ You have ruined the covenant of Leʹvi,”+ says Jehovah of armies.