²⁴ “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you^(A) became defiled.^{(B) 25} Even the land was defiled;^(C) so I punished it for its sin,^(D) and the land vomited out its inhabitants.^{(E) 26} But you must keep my decrees and my laws.^(F) The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land,^(G) it will vomit you out^(H) as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

²⁹ “‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people.

²⁶ I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses^(A) against you^(B) this day that you will quickly perish^(C) from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.

²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence,^(A) as he had warned^(B) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(C) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

²¹ There at Riblah,^(A) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.^(B)

So Judah went into captivity,^(C) away from her land.^(D)