The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor ¹  David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. ²  He did not seek the Baals,

He was committed to following the Lord; ¹  he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

Nevertheless you have done some good things; ¹  you removed ²  the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.” ³ 

However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were still not devoted to the God of their ancestors. ¹ 

Vindicate me, O God! Fight for me ²  against an ungodly nation! Deliver me ³  from deceitful and evil men! ⁴ 

Turn aside from the way, stray off the path. ¹  Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.” ² 

These people continually and blatantly offend me ¹  as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards ²  and burn incense on brick altars. ³ 

Because she took her prostitution so lightly, she defiled the land ¹  through her adulterous worship of gods made of wood and stone. ² 

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 

So these men concluded, ¹  “We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is ²  in connection with the law of his God.”

For the Israelites ¹  must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.

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 

They have committed treason ¹  against the Lord, because they bore illegitimate children. Soon ²  the new moon festival will devour them and their fields.

But the more I summoned ¹  them, the farther they departed from me. ²  They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images.

Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, ¹  I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. ² 

Isaac’s centers of worship ¹  will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” ² 

After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, ¹  he asked them where the Christ ²  was to be born.

Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ ¹  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Then some of the experts in the law ¹  along with some Pharisees ²  answered him, ³  “Teacher, we want to see a sign ⁴  from you.”

“Woe to you, experts in the law ¹  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You ²  build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves ³  of the righteous.