Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing {is} this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; {by: Heb. by the hand of}

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. {place: Heb. standing}

Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. {emptied: Heb. empty, or, void}

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. {He that} sweareth to {his own} hurt, and changeth not.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

And it shall be, if the wicked man {be} worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,

And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether {it be} unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. {to banishment: Chaldee, to rooting out}

And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred {shekels} of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver {is} with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed {be thou} of the LORD, my son.

And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. {place: Heb. standing}

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort {you} that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing {is} this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

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.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, {what} clearing of yourselves, yea, {what} indignation, yea, {what} fear, yea, {what} vehement desire, yea, {what} zeal, yea, {what} revenge! In all {things} ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought {that which was} evil in the eyes of the LORD.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. {reign over: Heb. restrain in}

Then said they, We will restore {them}, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

But to them that rebuke {him} shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. {a good...: Heb. a blessing of good}

They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; {by: Heb. by the hand of}