Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to ¹  the gods called Baal, ²  as their fathers ³  taught them to do.

“What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “‘The fathers eat sour grapes And the children’s teeth become numb?’ ¹ 

“But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example. ¹ 

“Are you willing to pronounce judgment? ¹  Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers,

“‘But I said to their children ¹  in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, ²  nor defile yourselves with their idols.

I did this ¹  because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on ²  their fathers’ idols.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers ¹  and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?

Then you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore ¹  to give to your fathers.

Then you will live in the land I gave to your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. ¹ 

What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities.

He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, ¹  so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.” ² 

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ¹  Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ² 

But ¹  he replied, ²  “Why were you looking for me? ³  Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁴ 

To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make ¹  my Father’s house a marketplace!” ² 

I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ¹  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ²  him.

Jesus replied, ¹  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ²  I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, ¹  and no one can snatch ²  them from my Father’s hand.

The person who does not love me does not obey ¹  my words. And the word ²  you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

If you obey ¹  my commandments, you will remain ²  in my love, just as I have obeyed ³  my Father’s commandments and remain ⁴  in his love.

So he replied, ¹  “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather ²  Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,