¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven.^(A) They pour out drink offerings^(B) to other gods to arouse^(C) my anger.

¹³ The houses^(A) in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled^(B) like this place, Topheth—all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs^(C) to all the starry hosts^(D) and poured out drink offerings^(E) to other gods.’”

¹⁷ We will certainly do everything we said we would:^(A) We will burn incense^(B) to the Queen of Heaven^(C) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials^(D) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.^(E) At that time we had plenty of food^(F) and were well off and suffered no harm.^{(G) 18} But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings^(H) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.^(I)”

¹⁹ The women added, “When we burned incense^(J) to the Queen of Heaven^(K) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands^(L) know that we were making cakes^(M) impressed with her image^(N) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”

²² Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(A) Are we stronger than he?^(B)

⁹ You have done more evil^(A) than all who lived before you.^(B) You have made for yourself other gods, idols^(C) made of metal; you have aroused^(D) my anger and turned your back on me.^(E)

²⁹ The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,^(A) along with the houses^(B) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings^(C) to other gods.^(D)

⁷ “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused^(A) my anger with what your hands have made,^(B) and you have brought harm^(C) to yourselves.”

¹⁷ The Lord Almighty, who planted^(A) you, has decreed disaster^(B) for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused^(C) my anger by burning incense to Baal.^(D)

² “I lifted you up from the dust^(A) and appointed you ruler^(B) over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused^(C) my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins.