The Lord has issued a decree against you: ¹  “Your dynasty will come to an end. ²  I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods. I will desecrate ³  your grave – because you are accursed!” ⁴ 

There you will worship gods made by human hands – wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell.

Joshua said, ¹  “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to ²  the Lord God of Israel.”

They worshiped ¹  Micah’s carved image ²  the whole time God’s authorized shrine ³  was in Shiloh.

They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths ¹  and hung his corpse on the city wall of Beth Shan.

Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, ¹  because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. ² 

You have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me. ¹ 

The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, ¹  the people from Cuth made Nergal, ²  the people from Hamath made Ashima, ³ 

The one whose deeds are blameless and whose motives are pure, ¹  who does not lie, ²  or make promises with no intention of keeping them. ³ 

You severely discipline people for their sins; ¹  like a moth you slowly devour their strength. ²  Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)

How blessed ¹  is the one ²  who trusts in the Lord ³  and does not seek help from ⁴  the proud or from liars! ⁵ 

Indeed, they ¹  will be ashamed of the sacred trees you ²  find so desirable; you will be embarrassed because of the sacred orchards ³  where you choose to worship.

We know our noisy worship of false gods on the hills and mountains did not help us. ¹  We know that the Lord our God is the only one who can deliver Israel. ² 

You took some of your clothing and made for yourself decorated high places; you engaged in prostitution on them. You went to him to become his. ¹ 

You took your embroidered clothing and used it to cover them; you offered my olive oil and my incense to them.

Slanderous men shed blood within you. ¹  Those who live within you eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains; ²  they commit obscene acts among you. ³ 

“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Because they are saying to you, “You are a devourer of men, and bereave your nation of children,”

For ¹  I will remove the names of the Baal idols ²  from your lips, ³  so that you will never again utter their names!” ⁴ 

I know Ephraim all too well; ¹  the evil of ²  Israel is not hidden from me. For you have engaged in prostitution, O Ephraim; Israel has defiled itself. ³ 

Their heart is slipping; soon they will be punished for their guilt. The Lord ¹  will break their altars; he will completely destroy their fertility pillars.