¹² Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^(A)will go and cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, ^(B)but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble.

^17 (A)But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to ^(B)the queen of heaven ^(C)and pour out drink offerings to her, ^(D)as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. ¹⁸ But since we left off making offerings to ^(E)the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything ^(F)and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” ¹⁹ And the women said,^[a] “When we made offerings to the queen of heaven ^(G)and poured out drink offerings to her, was it ^(H)without our husbands' approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, ^(I)men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: ^21 (J)“As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, ^(K)did not the Lord remember them? Did it not come into his mind? ^22 (L)The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and ^(M)the abominations that you committed. ^(N)Therefore your land has become ^(O)a desolation and a waste and a curse, ^(P)without inhabitant, as it is this day. ²³ It is because you made offerings ^(Q)and because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey the voice of the Lord or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies ^(R)that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day.”

²⁴ Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, ^(S)all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. ²⁵ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(T)You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made, ^(U)to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! ²⁶ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, ^(V)all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ^(W)Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, ^(X)that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, ^(Y)saying, ‘As the Lord God lives.’ ^27 (Z)Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. ^(AA)All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them.

Ahaz's Idolatry

²² In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz.

¹⁴ Go and cry out ^(A)to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”