¹⁶ Abuses in Worship. For your part, Jeremiah, do not intercede for this people, do not raise a plea or a prayer on their behalf, and do not intercede with me, for I will not listen to you. ¹⁷ Do you not observe what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸ The children gather up the wood, their fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And to arouse my anger, they pour out drink offerings to other gods.