Thereforethrough thisJacob'siniquitywill be forgiven;And thiswill be the fullpriceof the pardoningof his sin:When he makesallthe altarstoneslike pulverizedchalkstones;[When] Asherimand incensealtarswill not stand.
They broughtout the [sacred] pillarsof the houseof Baaland burnedthem.
He brokein piecesthe [sacred] pillarsand cutdownthe Asherimand filledtheir placeswith humanbones.
He burnedthe houseof the LORD,the king'shouse,and allthe housesof Jerusalem;even everygreathousehe burnedwith fire.
He also removedthe highplacesand the incensealtarsfrom allthe citiesof Judah.And the kingdomwas undisturbedunderhim.
They toredownthe altarsof the Baalsin his presence,and the incensealtarsthat were highabovethem he choppeddown;also the Asherim,the carvedimagesand the moltenimageshe brokein piecesand groundto powderand scattered[it] on the gravesof those who had sacrificedto them.
Then they burnedthe houseof Godand brokedownthe wallof Jerusalem,and burnedallits fortifiedbuildingswith fireand destroyedallits valuablearticles.
BeforeI was afflictedI wentastray,But nowI keepYour word.
It is goodfor me that I was afflicted,That I may learnYour statutes.
"But [rather], you are to teardowntheir altarsand smashtheir [sacred] pillarsand cutdowntheir Asherim--
Stripesthat woundscouraway evil,And strokes[reach] the innermostparts.
Surelyyou will be ashamedof the oakswhichyou have desired,And you will be embarrassedat the gardenswhichyou have chosen.
He will not haveregardfor the altars,the workof his hands,Norwill he lookto that whichhis fingershave made,Even the Asherimand incensestands.
And you will defileyour gravenimagesoverlaidwith silver,and your moltenimagesplatedwith gold.You will scatterthem as an impurething,[and] sayto them, "Be gone!"
Whenthe Lordhas washedawaythe filthof the daughtersof Zionand purgedthe bloodshedof Jerusalemfrom her midst,by the spiritof judgmentand the spiritof burning,
"Speakkindlyto Jerusalem;And callout to her, that her warfarehas ended,That her iniquityhas been removed,That she has receivedof the LORD'ShandDoublefor allher sins."
"Behold,I have refinedyou, but not as silver;I have testedyou in the furnaceof affliction.
"When they comethere,they will removeallits detestablethingsand allits abominationsfrom it.
and I will purgefrom you the rebelsand those who transgressagainst Me; I will bringthem out of the landwherethey sojourn,but they will not enterthe landof Israel.Thus you will knowthat I am the LORD.
"So your altarswill becomedesolateand your incensealtarswill be smashed;and I will make your slainfallin frontof your idols.
"Someof those who haveinsightwill fall,in order to refine,purgeand makethem pureuntilthe endtime;because[it is] still[to come] at the appointedtime.
O Ephraim,whatmorehave I to do with idols?It is I who answerand lookafter you. I am like a luxuriantcypress;From Me comesyour fruit.
I then will destroyyour highplaces,and cutdownyour incensealtars,and heapyour remainson the remainsof your idols,for My soulshall abhoryou.
"I will also cutoffthe citiesof your landAnd teardownallyour fortifications.
"It will comeabout in that day,"declaresthe LORDof hosts,"that I will cutoffthe namesof the idolsfrom the land,and they will nolongerbe remembered;and I will alsoremovethe prophetsand the uncleanspiritfrom the land.
"THISIS MY COVENANTWITH THEM, WHENI TAKE AWAYTHEIR SINS."
But when we are judged,we are disciplinedby the Lordsothat we will not be condemnedalongwith the world.
"You shall teardowntheir altarsand smashtheir [sacred] pillarsand burntheir Asherimwith fire,and you shall cutdownthe engravedimagesof their godsand obliteratetheir namefrom that place.
FOR THOSE WHOMTHE LORDLOVESHE DISCIPLINES,AND HE SCOURGESEVERYSONWHOMHE RECEIVES."
