Jerusalem, how terrible it will be for you! Ariel, you are the city where David made his home. The years will come and go. Keep on celebrating your regular feasts.

唉！亚利伊勒，亚利伊勒，大卫安营的城，任凭你年上加年，节期照常周流。

祸哉！亚利伊勒，亚利伊勒，大卫安营的城，任凭你年复一年，节期照常循环，

祸哉！亚利伊勒，亚利伊勒，大卫安营的城，任凭你年复一年，节期照常循环，

耶和华说：“亚利伊勒，亚利伊勒，大卫安营的城啊！你有祸了！尽管你年复一年地守节期，

亚利伊勒、亚利伊勒（“亚利伊勒”意即“祭坛的炉”，代表耶路撒冷），大卫曾在此安营的城啊，有祸了！虽然你一年又一年按时举行节期，

祸哉！亚利伊勒，亚利伊勒，大卫安营的城！任凭你年复一年，循环往复地守节期吧！

唉！亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城，任憑你年上加年，節期照常周流。

禍哉！亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城，任憑你年復一年，節期照常循環，

禍哉！亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城，任憑你年復一年，節期照常循環，

耶和華說：「亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城啊！你有禍了！儘管你年復一年地守節期，

亞利伊勒、亞利伊勒（“亞利伊勒”意即“祭壇的爐”，代表耶路撒冷），大衛曾在此安營的城啊，有禍了！雖然你一年又一年按時舉行節期，

有禍啊，亞利伊勒，上帝之祭壇火盆！大衛紮營過的城！你儘管一年一年，循環地歡樂過節，

禍哉！亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城！任憑你年復一年，循環往復地守節期吧！

噫、亞利伊勒、亞利伊勒、大衛張幕之邑歟、任爾年復一年、節期周流、

大闢都城、厥名亞列、雖歷年無間、以守節期、然必有禍災、

噫、亞利伊勒、亞利伊勒、大衛建都之城、爾曹在其中居民、年復一年、節期周流、

Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.

Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts run their round.

“ What sorrow awaits Ariel, the City of David. Year after year you celebrate your feasts.

Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped! Continue year after year; let the festivals recur.

Woe, Ariel, Ariel the city where David once camped! Add year to year, keep your feasts on schedule.

“ Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; Let feasts come around.

Ho Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! add ye year to year; let the feasts come round:

Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped! Continue year after year; let the festivals recur.

Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city[ where] David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

Ariel is as good as dead– Ariel, the town David besieged! Keep observing your annual rituals, celebrate your festivals on schedule.

Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around;

David moved into the fort. He called it the City of David. He built up the area around the fort. He filled in the low places. He started at the bottom and worked his way up.

“ 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.

You won’t pour out wine offerings to the Lord. Your sacrifices won’t please him. They’ll be like the bread people eat when someone dies. Everyone who eats those sacrifices will be“ unclean.” They themselves will have to eat that kind of food. They can’t bring it into the Lord’ s temple.

The top part of the altar is where the sacrifices are burned. It is seven feet high. A horn sticks out from each of its four corners.The top part of the altar is square. It is 21 feet long and 21 feet wide.

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.

The people of Israel say,“ What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we’ve done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?”

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.

Israel will come to worship the Lord. They will bring their animals to offer as sacrifices. But they will not find him. He has turned away from them.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming. It is not the real things themselves. The same sacrifices have to be offered over and over again. They must be offered year after year. That’s why the law can never make perfect those who come near to worship.

“ 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.

The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to weep and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad.Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying,“ Let’s eat and drink, because tomorrow we’ll die.”

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!

Their hiding places will be destroyed when terror strikes them. Their commanders will see their enemy’s battle flags. Then they will be filled with panic,” announces the Lord. His fire blazes out from Mount Zion. His furnace burns in Jerusalem.