²⁹ You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land ^(A)of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.

¹⁴ But she carried her whoring further. She saw men ^(A)portrayed on the wall, the ^(B)images of ^(C)the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, ¹⁵ wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. ¹⁶ When she saw them, she lusted after them and ^(D)sent messengers to them ^(E)in Chaldea. ¹⁷ And the Babylonians came to her ^(F)into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, ^(G)she turned from them in disgust. ¹⁸ When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. ¹⁹ Yet she increased her whoring, ^(H)remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt ²⁰ and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. ²¹ Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed^[a] your young breasts.”

¹⁴ And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, ^(A)and you shall know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, ¹⁶ the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem ^(B)and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.

¹⁷ “And you, son of man, ^(C)set your face against ^(D)the daughters of your people, ^(E)who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them ¹⁸ and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women ^(F)who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and ^(G)make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in ^(H)the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? ¹⁹ You have profaned me among my people ^(I)for handfuls of barley ^(J)and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

²⁰ “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, ^(K)I am against ^(L)your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. ²¹ Your veils also I will tear off and ^(M)deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, ^(N)and you shall know that I am the Lord. ^22 (O)Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and ^(P)you have encouraged the wicked, that ^(Q)he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, ^23 (R)therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁹ But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.

^12 (A)And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. ^(B)They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and ^(C)bowed down to them. ^(D)And they provoked the Lord to anger. ¹³ They abandoned the Lord ^(E)and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. ^14 (F)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he ^(G)gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. ^(H)And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, ^(I)so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, ^(J)and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

The Lord Raises Up Judges

^16 (K)Then the Lord raised up judges, ^(L)who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they did not listen to their judges, for ^(M)they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. ^(N)They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. ¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, ^(O)the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. ^(P)For the Lord was moved to pity by ^(Q)their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. ¹⁹ But ^(R)whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.