Some people make promises in the name of Samaria’s god. That god has led them astray. Others say,‘ People of Dan, you can be sure that your god is alive.’ Still others say,‘ You can be sure that Beersheba’s god is alive.’ But all these people will fall dead. They will never get up again.”

那指着撒玛利亚牛犊起誓的说：‘但哪，我们指着你那里的活神起誓。’又说：‘我们指着别是巴的神道起誓。’这些人都必仆倒，永不再起来。”

那些指着撒玛利亚的罪孽起誓的，说：‘但哪，我们指着你那里的神明起誓’，又说：‘我们指着通往别是巴的路起誓’，这些人都必仆倒，永不再起。”

那些指着撒玛利亚的罪孽起誓的，说：‘但哪，我们指着你那里的神明起誓’，又说：‘我们指着通往别是巴的路起誓’，这些人都必仆倒，永不再起。”

那些凭撒玛利亚、但和别示巴的神明起誓的，都要跌倒，永不再起来。”

那些指着撒玛利亚的罪（“罪”或作“亚示玛女神”）起誓，或是那些指着但的神，或别是巴的神（“别是巴的神”原文作“别是巴的道”）起誓的，他们要倒下，再不能起来。”

那指着撒馬利亞牛犢起誓的說：但哪，我們指着你那裏的活神起誓；又說：我們指着別是巴的神道起誓。這些人都必仆倒，永不再起來。

那些指着撒瑪利亞的罪孽起誓的，說：『但哪，我們指着你那裏的神明起誓』，又說：『我們指着通往別是巴的路起誓』，這些人都必仆倒，永不再起。」

那些指着撒瑪利亞的罪孽起誓的，說：『但哪，我們指着你那裏的神明起誓』，又說：『我們指着通往別是巴的路起誓』，這些人都必仆倒，永不再起。」

那些憑撒瑪利亞、但和別示巴的神明起誓的，都要跌倒，永不再起來。」

那些指著撒瑪利亞的罪（“罪”或作“亞示瑪女神”）起誓，或是那些指著但的神，或別是巴的神（“別是巴的神”原文作“別是巴的道”）起誓的，他們要倒下，再不能起來。”

那些指着撒瑪利亞的亞示瑪女神來起誓的說：「但哪，我們指着你的神來起誓」，或說：「我們指着別是巴的護衛神『道』來起誓：」這種人都必仆倒，不能再起立。』

凡指撒瑪利亞之罪而誓者曰、但乎、我指爾維生之神而誓、或曰、我指別是巴之生途而誓、其人必顚覆、永不復興、

撒馬利亞之民、奉事犢像、而犯罪愆、人反指之而誓曰、但之上帝永生、別是巴之上帝永生、故必殞亡、永不振興。

斯眾指撒瑪利亞獲罪所設之神而誓曰、但歟、爾所敬之神、我指其生而誓、別示巴所敬之神、我指其生而誓、故必顛蹶、不得復興、

Those who swear by the sin of Samaria— who say,‘ As surely as your god lives, Dan,’ or,‘ As surely as the god of Beersheba lives’— they will fall, never to rise again.”

Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria, and say,‘ As your god lives, O Dan,’ and,‘ As the Way of Beersheba lives,’ they shall fall, and never rise again.”

And those who swear by the shameful idols of Samaria— who take oaths in the name of the god of Dan and make vows in the name of the god of Beersheba— they will all fall down, never to rise again.”

Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say,“ As your god lives, Dan,” or,“ As the way of Beer-sheba lives”— they will fall, never to rise again.

As for those who swear by the guilt of Samaria, And say,‘ As your god lives, Dan,’ And,‘ As the way of Beersheba lives,’ They will fall and not rise again.”

Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, Who say,‘ As your god lives, O Dan!’ And,‘ As the way of Beersheba lives!’ They shall fall and never rise again.”

They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, As thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, As the way of Beer- sheba liveth; they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say,“ As your god lives, Dan,” or“ As the way of Beer-sheba lives”— they will fall, never to rise again.

They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

These are the ones who now take oaths in the name of the sinful idol goddess of Samaria. They vow,‘ As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or‘ As surely as your beloved one lives, O Beer Sheba!’ But they will fall down and not get up again.”

Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say,‘ As your god, Dan, lives;’ and,‘ As the way of Beersheba lives;’ they will fall, and never rise up again.”

Do not look to Bethel. Do not go to Gilgal. Do not travel to Beersheba. The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners. Nothing will be left of Bethel.”

I also got that sinful calf you had made. I burned it in the fire. I crushed it and ground it into fine powder. Then I threw the powder into a stream that was flowing down the mountain.

So King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two golden statues that looked like calves. He said to the people,“ It’s too hard for you to go up to Jerusalem. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up out of Egypt.”He set up one statue in Bethel. He set up the other one in Dan.

He asked the priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus. He wanted to find men and women who belonged to the Way of Jesus. The letters would allow him to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.

Now they sin more and more. They use their silver to make statues of gods for themselves. The statues come from their own clever ideas. Skilled workers make all of them. The people pray to these gods. They offer human sacrifices to them. They kiss the gods that look like calves.

The Lord says,“ Tell them,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Drink from this cup. Get drunk and throw up. Fall down and do not get up again. I am going to send war against you.” ’

I will destroy those who bow down on their roofs to worship all the stars. I will destroy those who make promises not only in my name but also in the name of Molek.

Lord, bless all his skills. Be pleased with everything he does. Destroy those who rise up against him. Strike down his enemies until they can’t get up.”

At that time many people became very upset about the Way of Jesus.

May burning coals fall on people like that. May they be thrown into the fire. May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out.

You came back here and ate bread and drank water. You did it in the place where I told you not to. So your body will not be buried in your family tomb.’ ”The man of God finished eating and drinking. Then the old prophet who had brought him back put a saddle on the man’s donkey for him.And the man went on his way. A lion attacked him on the road and killed him. His body was left lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it.Some people passed by. They saw the body lying on the road. They saw the lion standing beside the body. Then they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.The prophet who had brought the man back from his journey heard about what had happened. He said,“ It’s the man of God. He didn’t do what the Lord told him to do. So the Lord has given him over to the lion. The lion has attacked him and killed him. Everything has happened just as the Lord’ s message had warned him it would.”The old prophet said to his sons,“ Put a saddle on the donkey for me.” So they did.Then he went out. He found the body of the man of God lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it. The lion hadn’t eaten the body. It hadn’t attacked the donkey either.So the prophet picked up the man’s body. He put it on the donkey. He brought it back to his own city. He wanted to mourn for him and bury him.Then he placed the body in his own tomb. People mourned for him. They said,“ Oh, no, my friend! My dear friend!”After the old prophet had buried the man of God, he spoke to his sons. He said,“ When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Put my bones next to his bones.I want you to do that because he announced a message from the Lord. He spoke against the altar in Bethel. He also spoke against all the temples that are on the high places. They are in the towns of Samaria. What the man of God said will certainly come true.”Even after all of that happened, Jeroboam still didn’t change his evil ways. Once more he appointed priests for the high places. He made priests out of all kinds of people. In fact, he let anyone become a priest who wanted to. He set them apart to serve at the high places.All of that was the great sin the royal family of Jeroboam committed. It led to their fall from power. Because of it, they were destroyed from the face of the earth.

I will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed. He has also caused Israel to commit those same sins.”

He established a feast. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. He wanted to make it like the Feast of Booths that was held in Judah. Jeroboam built an altar at Bethel. He offered sacrifices on it. He sacrificed to the calves he had made. He also put priests in Bethel. He did it at the high places he had made.

See how those who do evil have fallen! They are thrown down and can’t get up.

“ Israel, you are not faithful to me. But I do not want Judah to become guilty too.“ My people, do not go to Gilgal to offer sacrifices. Do not go up to Bethel to worship other gods. When you make a promise, do not say,‘ You can be sure that the Lord is alive.’

The Lord says,“ People of Samaria, throw out your god that looks like a calf! I am very angry with them. How long will it be until they are able to remain faithful to me?Their calf is not God. A skilled worker from Israel made it. But that calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.”

The people of Samaria must pay for their sins. They have refused to obey me. They will be killed by swords. Their little children will be smashed on the ground. Their pregnant women will be ripped wide open.”

“ The people of Israel have fallen. They will never get up again. They are deserted in their own land. No one can lift them up.”

Then say,‘ In the same way, Babylon will sink down. It will never rise again. That is because I will bring such horrible trouble on it. And its people will fall along with it.’ ” The words of Jeremiah end here.

But he didn’t turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit those same sins. Jehu worshiped the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John’s baptism.

The people who live in Samaria are filled with fear. They are afraid for their god that looks like a calf. They’re afraid it will be carried off from Beth Aven, that evil town. They will mourn over it. So will the priests who led them to worship it. The priests were full of joy because their statue was so glorious. But it will be captured and taken far away from them.

Whoever still won’t obey after being warned many times will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save them.

But some of them wouldn’t listen. They refused to believe. In public they said evil things about the Way of Jesus. So Paul left them. He took the believers with him. Each day he talked with people in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

It is true that I worship the God of our people. I am a follower of the Way of Jesus. Those bringing charges against me call it a cult. I believe everything that is in keeping with the Law. I believe everything that is in keeping with what is written in the Prophets.

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer. He weighed out 150 pounds of silver for it. Then he built a city on the hill. He called it Samaria. He named it after Shemer. Shemer had owned the hill before him.

He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses. He sent its entire army to its death. Its soldiers lay down there. They never got up again. They were destroyed. They were blown out like a dimly burning flame. But the Lord says,