⁵ He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense^(A) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.^(B)

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.

² They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served^(A) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.^(B) They will not be gathered up or buried,^(C) but will be like dung lying on the ground.^(D)

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?”

² “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster^(A) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.^(B) Today they lie deserted and in ruins^(C)