Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem.

众祭司长和百姓也大大犯罪，效法外邦人一切可憎的事，污秽耶和华在耶路撒冷分别为圣的殿。

众祭司长和百姓也多多犯罪，效法列国一切可憎的事，玷污耶和华在耶路撒冷分别为圣的殿。

众祭司长和百姓也多多犯罪，效法列国一切可憎的事，玷污耶和华在耶路撒冷分别为圣的殿。

所有祭司长和民众也都仿效外族人的一切可憎行径，犯了大罪，玷污了耶和华在耶路撒冷使之圣洁的殿。

此外，所有的祭司长和人民也都大大地得罪神，随从列国所行一切可憎的事；他们污秽了耶和华在耶路撒冷分别为圣的殿。

眾祭司長和百姓也大大犯罪，效法外邦人一切可憎的事，污穢耶和華在耶路撒冷分別為聖的殿。

眾祭司長和百姓也多多犯罪，效法列國一切可憎的事，玷污耶和華在耶路撒冷分別為聖的殿。

眾祭司長和百姓也多多犯罪，效法列國一切可憎的事，玷污耶和華在耶路撒冷分別為聖的殿。

所有祭司長和民眾也都仿效外族人的一切可憎行徑，犯了大罪，玷污了耶和華在耶路撒冷使之聖潔的殿。

此外，所有的祭司長和人民也都大大地得罪神，隨從列國所行一切可憎的事；他們污穢了耶和華在耶路撒冷分別為聖的殿。

不但如此，眾祭司領袖和人民也大大地不忠實，像外國人所行一切可憎惡的事那樣；他們污瀆了永恆主的殿、就是永恆主在耶路撒冷所分別為聖的。

且諸祭司長與民眾、大干罪戾、從異邦可憎之事、污耶和華在耶路撒冷區別為聖之室、

眾祭司長與兆民、效尤異邦、多蹈罪愆、在耶路撒冷、耶和華之殿、業已肅清、復污衊之、

諸祭司長與民眾亦多犯罪、效異邦人可憎之事、在耶路撒冷主之殿、主所別為聖者、彼反污之、

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

And that’s not all. The people and all the leaders of the priests became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the practices of the nations. The Lord hated those practices. The people and leaders made the Lord’ s temple“ unclean.” The Lord had set the temple in Jerusalem apart in a special way for himself.

All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the LORD’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.

Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of Jehovah which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

All the leaders of the priests and people became more unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations. They defiled the LORD’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Moreover all the chiefs of the priests, and the people, trespassed very greatly after all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted Yahweh’s house which he had made holy in Jerusalem.

O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.

He built pagan altars in the Temple of the Lord, the place where the Lord had said,“ My name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple.Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger.Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon:“ My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem— the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.

I said,“ Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones.Yes, you eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot.Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to answer? After all the evil you have done, he won’t even look at you!”

Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.

We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

So these officials went to the king and said,“ Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”

The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.

Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right.You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption.You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord.“ No harm can come to us,” you say,“ for the Lord is here among us.”

Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say,‘ My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them.

From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.

But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said,“ You are defecting to the Babylonians!” The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah.“ That’s not true!” Jeremiah protested.“ I had no intention of doing any such thing.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials.They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison.

“ Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.

Then the Lord said to me,“ Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous.“ Son of man,” he said,“ do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!”Then he brought me to the door of the Temple courtyard, where I could see a hole in the wall.He said to me,“ Now, son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway.“ Go in,” he said,“ and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there!”So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the center. Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads.Then the Lord said to me,“ Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying,‘ The Lord doesn’t see us; he has deserted our land!’”Then the Lord added,“ Come, and I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”He brought me to the north gate of the Lord’s Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.“ Have you seen this?” he asked.“ But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!

He offered sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains.

King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he took special note of the altar. Then he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail.Uriah followed the king’s instructions and built an altar just like it, and it was ready before the king returned from Damascus.When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it.He presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, he poured out a liquid offering, and he sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on the altar.Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of the Lord’s Temple, between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar.He told Uriah the priest,“ Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and grain offering, and the burnt offerings of all the people, as well as their grain offerings and liquid offerings. Sprinkle the blood from all the burnt offerings and sacrifices on the new altar. The bronze altar will be for my personal use only.”Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz commanded him.

But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.