“‘ “People of Israel, the Lord and King says,‘ Go, every one of you! Serve your gods. But later you will listen to me. You will no longer treat my name as if it were not holy. You will not offer sacrifices to other gods anymore.

“以色列家啊，至于你们，主耶和华如此说：从此以后若不听从我，就任凭你们去侍奉偶像，只是不可再因你们的供物和偶像亵渎我的圣名。

“你们，以色列家啊，主耶和华如此说：你们若不听从我，从今以后就让各人去事奉他的偶像吧，只是不可再以你们的供物和偶像亵渎我的圣名。

“你们，以色列家啊，主耶和华如此说：你们若不听从我，从今以后就让各人去事奉他的偶像吧，只是不可再以你们的供物和偶像亵渎我的圣名。

“主耶和华说，‘你们以色列人若不听我的话，就去供奉你们的偶像吧！但将来你们必不再向偶像献祭物亵渎我的圣名！’

以色列家啊，至于你们，主耶和华这样说：你们各人去事奉自己的偶像吧！只是将来你们必要听从我，不可再以你们的供物和偶像亵渎我的圣名。

「以色列家啊，至於你們，主耶和華如此說：從此以後若不聽從我，就任憑你們去事奉偶像，只是不可再因你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的聖名。

「你們，以色列家啊，主耶和華如此說：你們若不聽從我，從今以後就讓各人去事奉他的偶像吧，只是不可再以你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的聖名。

「你們，以色列家啊，主耶和華如此說：你們若不聽從我，從今以後就讓各人去事奉他的偶像吧，只是不可再以你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的聖名。

「主耶和華說，『你們以色列人若不聽我的話，就去供奉你們的偶像吧！但將來你們必不再向偶像獻祭物褻瀆我的聖名！』

以色列家啊，至於你們，主耶和華這樣說：你們各人去事奉自己的偶像吧！只是將來你們必要聽從我，不可再以你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的聖名。

『至於你們呢、以色列家啊，主永恆主這麼說，你們只管去、各人服事他的偶像吧！以後呢、你們若不聽從我，也隨你們的便！只是我的聖名、你們卻不可再用你們的供品和偶像來褻瀆啊！

以色列家歟、主耶和華論爾云、往哉、各事其偶像、惟後必聽從我、不復以禮物及偶像、玷我聖名、

主耶和華曰、爾曹以色列族、今而後有不從我命者、我聽其崇奉偶像、然不許爾既奉偶像、復獻禮物于我、瀆玩我聖名。

惟爾曹以色列族歟、主天主如是云、爾既不聽我、任爾各崇事偶像、惟勿復因爾之禮物及偶像、褻瀆我之聖名、

“‘ As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.

“ As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

“ As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.

“‘ As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to me, and you will no longer defile my holy name with your gifts and idols.

“ As for you, house of Israel,” this is what the Lord God says:“ Go, serve, everyone of you his idols; but later you will certainly listen to Me, and My holy name you will no longer defile with your gifts and your idols.

“ As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord GOD:“ Go, serve every one of you his idols— and hereafter— if you will not obey me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Go ye, serve every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me; but my holy name shall ye no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

“ As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But afterward you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter[ also], if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

“‘ As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign LORD says: Each of you go and serve your idols, if you will not listen to me. But my holy name will not be profaned again by your sacrifices and your idols.

“‘ As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says:“ Go, everyone serve his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but you shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols.

He said,“ Son of man, this is the place where my throne is. The stool for my feet is also here. I will live here among the people of Israel forever. They will never again treat my name as if it were not holy. They and their kings will not serve other gods anymore. The people will no longer make funeral offerings for their kings.

So I let them follow other rules. Those other rules were not good. I let them have laws they could not live by.I let them become‘ unclean’ by offering sacrifices to other gods. They even sacrificed the first male child born in each family. I wanted to fill them with horror. Then they would know that I am the Lord.” ’

Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you get into trouble!”

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.

They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with the blood of the people they have murdered. They have worshiped other gods. They have not been faithful to me. They have even sacrificed their children as food to other gods. Those children belonged to me.Here are some other things the sisters have done to me. They have made my temple‘ unclean.’ They have misused my Sabbath days.They have sacrificed their children to their gods. On that same day they entered my temple and made it‘ unclean.’ That is what they have done in my house.

The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,‘ You and your wives have done what you promised you would do. You said,“ We will certainly keep the promises we made to the Queen of Heaven. We’ll burn incense to her. We’ll pour out drink offerings to her.” ’“ Go ahead then. Do what you said you would! Keep your promises!But listen to the Lord’ s message. Listen, all you Jews living in Egypt.‘ I make a promise by my own great name,’ says the Lord.‘ Here is what I promise.“ No one from Judah who lives anywhere in Egypt will ever again pray in my name. None of them will ever make this promise. They will never say,‘ You can be sure that the Lord and King is alive.’ ”

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

So God let them go. He allowed them to do what their sinful hearts wanted to. He let them commit sexual sins. They made one another’s bodies impure by what they did.They chose a lie instead of the truth about God. They worshiped and served created things. They didn’t worship the Creator. But he is praised forever. Amen.So God let them continue to have their shameful desires. Their women committed sexual acts that were not natural.In the same way, the men turned away from their natural love for women. They burned with sexual desire for each other. Men did shameful things with other men. They suffered in their bodies for all the wrong things they did.They didn’t think it was important to know God. So God let them continue to have evil thoughts. They did things they shouldn’t do.

So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie.

So I let them go their own stubborn way. I let them follow their own sinful plans.

“ People of Samaria, go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal! Sin there even more! Bring your sacrifices every morning. Every third year, bring a tenth of everything you produce.Bake some bread with yeast. Burn it as a thank offering. Brag about the offerings you freely give. This is what you Israelites love to do,” announces the Lord and King.

The people of Ephraim have joined themselves to other gods. And nothing can be done to help them.

Elisha said to the king of Israel,“ Why do you want to come to me? Go to your father’s prophets. Go to your mother’s prophets.”“ No,” the king of Israel answered.“ The Lord called us three kings together. He did it to hand us over to Moab.”

‘ I know what you are doing. I know you aren’t cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other!But you are lukewarm. You aren’t hot or cold. So I am going to spit you out of my mouth.

“ I will reach out my powerful hand against Judah. I will punish all those who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy from this place what is left of Baal worship. The priests who serve other gods will be removed.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.

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.

“ No one can serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one of them and love the other. Or you will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and money at the same time.

“‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before.Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say,‘ We are safe.’ You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate.My Name is in this house. But you have made it a den for robbers! I have been watching you!” announces the Lord.