For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.
For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behaviour, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.
so that the proven character of your faith #– #more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire #– #may result in praise, glory, and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.
‘ “Then I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t follow the statutes of your fathers, defile yourselves with their idols, or keep their ordinances.
Instead, we will do everything we promised: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we saw no disaster,
Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and they will say, ‘Our ancestors inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.’
‘At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A searing wind blows from the barren heights in the wilderness on the way to my dear people. It comes not to winnow or to sift;