So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

我们的祖宗在这山上礼拜，你们倒说，应当礼拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。”

我们的祖宗在这山上敬拜上帝，你们倒说，应当敬拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。”

我们的祖宗在这山上敬拜神，你们倒说，应当敬拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。”

我们的祖先一向都是在这山上敬拜上帝，你们却说耶路撒冷才是敬拜的地方。”

我们的祖先在这山上敬拜神，而你们却说，敬拜的地方必须在耶路撒冷。”

我们的祖先在这山上敬拜，而你们却说敬拜的地方必须在耶路撒冷。”

我們的祖宗在這山上禮拜，你們倒說，應當禮拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。」

我們的祖宗在這山上敬拜上帝，你們倒說，應當敬拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。」

我們的祖宗在這山上敬拜神，你們倒說，應當敬拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。」

我們的祖先一向都是在這山上敬拜上帝，你們卻說耶路撒冷才是敬拜的地方。」

我們的祖先在這山上敬拜神，而你們卻說，敬拜的地方必須在耶路撒冷。”

我們的祖宗在這山上敬拜；你們倒說、敬拜的地方應當在耶路撒冷。』

我們的祖先在這山上敬拜，而你們卻說敬拜的地方必須在耶路撒冷。」

我祖崇拜於此山、惟爾曹言當拜之地在耶路撒冷、

我祖崇拜於此山、爾曹言、崇拜當在耶路撒冷、孰是、

我列祖崇拜於此山、惟爾曹言當崇拜之處、乃在耶路撒冷、

耶穌對曰：『女子其信吾言、時已臨矣、朝拜聖父、將不在此山、亦不在耶路撒冷；

Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Our people have always worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.”

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said,“ I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town.Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.And there he built an altar and named it El Elohe Israel.

“ When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people.

“ When the Lord your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.

Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes— the place where his name will be honored.There you will bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and your offerings of the firstborn animals of your herds and flocks.There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you.“ Your pattern of worship will change. Today all of you are doing as you please,because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you’re living safely in the land,you must bring everything I command you— your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow— to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.

Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said,“ I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices.

But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”

For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home.

Then all the Israelites— foreigners and native born alike— along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.

But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem.

Then David said,“ This will be the location for the Temple of the Lord God and the place of the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings!”

For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy— a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.

He chose instead the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved.

On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord.He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel.

So a message was sent to the king of Assyria:“ The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly.”The king of Assyria then commanded,“ Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land.”So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the Lord.But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built.Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship.And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came.

Then all the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth millo called a meeting under the oak beside the pillar at Shechem and made Abimelech their king.When Jotham heard about this, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted,“ Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you!

The Lord said to him,“ I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy— this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.