The Lord says,“ I hate your holy feasts. I can’t stand them. Your gatherings stink.

“我厌恶你们的节期，也不喜悦你们的严肃会。

“我厌恶你们的节期，也不喜悦你们的严肃会。

“我厌恶你们的节期，也不喜悦你们的严肃会。

“我憎恶、鄙弃你们的节期，厌恶你们的圣会。

我憎恨、厌恶你们的节期，也不喜爱你们的节日。

我厭惡你們的節期，也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。

「我厭惡你們的節期，也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。

「我厭惡你們的節期，也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。

「我憎惡、鄙棄你們的節期，厭惡你們的聖會。

我憎恨、厭惡你們的節期，也不喜愛你們的節日。

『我恨惡、我鄙視你們的節期，我不聞你們聖節會中的氣味。

爾之節期、我厭惡之、爾之肅會、我不悅之、

爾設節期、我所深憾、爾立大會、我甚不悅、

爾之節期、我憎惡厭棄、厭棄或作輕視爾大會之日、我甚不悅、爾大會之日我甚不悅或作爾聖會所獻之祭我不享之

“ I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.

“ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

“ I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.

I hate, I despise, your feasts! I can’t stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.

“ I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.

“ I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

I hate, I despise your feasts! I can’t stand the stench of your solemn assemblies.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

“ I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies!

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

I will completely destroy your cities. I will destroy your places of worship. The pleasant smell of your offerings will not give me any delight.

What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba? Why should I bother with sweet- smelling cane from a land far away? I do not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices do not please me.”

“ Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?” asks the Lord.“ I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.Who asked you to bring all these animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can’t stand your worthless gatherings. I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts, Sabbath days and special services.Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts I hate with my whole being. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it.You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I do not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I am not listening to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.So wash and make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!

But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig’s blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate.

They offer sacrifices as gifts to me. They eat the meat of the animals they bring. But the Lord is not pleased with any of this. He will remember the evil things they have done. He will punish them for their sins. And they will return to Egypt.

If you don’t pay attention to my instruction, even your prayers are hated.

God hates sacrifices that are brought by evil people. He hates it even more when they bring them for the wrong reason.

The Lord hates the sacrifice of sinful people. But the prayers of honest people please him.

“ How terrible it will be for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter. And you will not let those enter who are trying to.

The smell of the offerings pleased the Lord. He said to himself,“ I will never put a curse on the ground again because of human beings. I will not do it even though their hearts are always directed toward evil. Their thoughts are evil from the time they are young. I will never destroy all living things again, as I have just done.

Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet- smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

I have received my full pay and have more than enough. I have everything I need. That’s because Epaphroditus brought me the gifts you sent. They are a sweet- smelling offering. They are a gift that God accepts. He is pleased with it.

The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Go ahead! Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices. Eat the meat yourselves!When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’