Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a year podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture.

The Bible in a year podcast is brought to you by Ascension using the great adventure Bible timeline.

We'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today.

It is the 271 we're reading from Ezra, the end of Ezra, the last two chapters, although as we know that Ezra and Nehemiah are the same book.

It's all one, but in our Bibles, there are two different books. We're reading Ezra, chapter 9 and 10, also Zechariah, chapter 9, 10 and 11.

We're getting kind of close to the end of the book of the Prophet Zechariah, as well as Proverbs, chapter 20, verses 16 through 19.

As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the revised standard version of the second Catholic edition.

I'm using the great adventure Bible from Ascension.

If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plans, you can follow along and keep track of every day.

Like today, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible any year, and you would know, wow, it's day 271.

This is the last day of the book of Ezra, and we're only reading chapters 9 and 10.

That kind of thing. Also, you can subscribe to this podcast. I don't know if you knew this. It's a well-kept secret.

A little known fact. You can subscribe to this podcast, and then what happens is every single day.

You get daily episodes and updates. It's phenomenal. I can't say enough good things about it, but if you're interested, you can click on subscribe.

It is day 271. We're reading Ezra 9 and 10. Zechariah 9, 10 and 11, as well as Proverbs chapter 20 verses 16 through 19.

The book of Ezra, chapter 9. Denunciation of intermarriage. Ezra's prayer.

After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said,

The sons of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Parasites, the Jebysites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.

For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the Holy Race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands.

And in this faithlessness, the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.

When I heard this, I tore my garments and my mantle and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.

Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithfulness of the returned exiles gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.

...