Read the Bible

False Gods Must Be Put Away

¹ "The man who is right and good dies, and no one cares. Very good men are taken away, while no one understands. But the man who is right with God is taken away from what is sinful, ² and goes where there is peace. They have rest in their graves, each one who walked in the right way. ³ But come here, you sons of a witch, children of a man who does sex sins and a woman who sells the use of her body. ⁴ Against whom are you making fun? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and put out your tongue? Are you not children of sin, the young ones of lies? ⁵ You burn with desire with your false gods under every green tree. You put your children on the altar of your false gods in the valleys under high rocks that hang over. ⁶ Your part is among the smooth stones of the valley. They are what you get. You have poured out drink gifts to them and given grain gifts. Should I be pleased about these things? ⁷ You have made your bed on a high mountain. And you went up there to give your gifts in worship. ⁸ You have put up your false gods behind the door on the other side. You have turned away from Me and have taken the covering off yourself. You have gone up and made your bed wide. You have made an agreement for yourselves with them. You have loved their bed, and have looked upon their bodies. ⁹ You have traveled to the king with oil and much perfume. You have sent your men with gifts a very long way, and made them go down to the place of the dead. ¹⁰ You were tired because your road was so long, yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.' You found new strength, so you did not become weak.

¹¹ "Of whom were you afraid, when you lied, and did not remember Me or think about Me? Have I not been quiet for a long time, so you are not afraid of Me? ¹² I will make known how right you are and what you have done, but it will not help you. ¹³ When you cry out, let the false gods that you have take you out of trouble. The wind will carry them away. A breath will take them away. But he who comes to Me to be safe will receive the land. My holy mountain will be his."

God's Promise for Help

¹⁴ It will be said, "Build up, build up, make the way ready. Take everything out of the way of My people." ¹⁵ For the high and honored One Who lives forever, Whose name is Holy, says, "I live in the high and holy place. And I also live with those who are sorry for their sins and have turned from them and are not proud. I give new strength to the spirit of those without pride, and also to those whose hearts are sorry for their sins. ¹⁶ I will keep on fighting against you, and will not always be angry, for then your spirit would become weak before Me, the ones to whom I gave life. ¹⁷ Because of the sin of his desire to get more of everything, I was angry. I punished him and hid My face in anger. He went on sinning, following the way of his own heart. ¹⁸ I have seen his ways and will heal him. I will lead him and give comfort to him and to those who have sorrow for him. ¹⁹ I will make the lips to praise. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," says the Lord, "and I will heal him." ²⁰ But the sinful are like the troubled sea, for it cannot rest. Its waters throw up mud and dirt. ²¹ "There is no peace," says my God, "for the sinful."