you who practice ritual sex ¹  under the oaks and every green tree, who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. ² 

We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord; we turned back from following our God. We stir up ¹  oppression and rebellion; we tell lies we concocted in our minds. ² 

But as for you who abandon the Lord and forget about worshiping at ¹  my holy mountain, who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ ²  and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’ ³  –

“These people have denied what the Lord says. ¹  They have said, ‘That is not so! ²  No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine. ³ 

Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish ¹  and gold is brought from Uphaz ²  to cover those idols. ³  They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. ⁴  They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. ⁵  They are all made by skillful workers. ⁶ 

The Lord is the one who ¹  by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do that ¹  because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” ² 

You will stumble and fall, you proud city; no one will help you get up. I will set fire to your towns; it will burn up everything that surrounds you.” ¹ 

He is the one who ¹  by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom fixed the world in place, by his understanding he spread out the heavens.

Under the platform their wings were stretched out, each toward the other. Each of the beings also had two wings covering ¹  its body.

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 

Fine linen from Egypt, woven with patterns, was used for your sail to serve as your banner; blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah ¹  was used for your deck’s awning.

People will reside again ¹  in his shade; they will plant and harvest grain in abundance. ²  They will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.

For Samaria’s ¹  disease ²  is incurable. It has infected ³  Judah; it has spread to ⁴  the leadership ⁵  of my people and has even contaminated Jerusalem! ⁶ 

Don’t spread the news in Gath! ¹  Don’t shed even a single tear! ²  In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust! ³ 

You will plant crops, but will not harvest them; you will squeeze oil from the olives, ¹  but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; ²  you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink. ³ 

He is as bright as lightning; ¹  a two-pronged lightning bolt flashes from his hand. ²  This is the outward display of his power. ³ 

When the people ¹  there recognized him, they sent word into all the surrounding area, and they brought all their sick to him.

Jerusalem, ¹  Idumea, beyond the Jordan River, ²  and around Tyre ³  and Sidon ⁴  a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done.

The experts in the law ¹  who came down from Jerusalem ²  said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” ³  and, “By the ruler ⁴  of demons he casts out demons.”