¹⁶ “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, ^(A)we will not listen to you. ^17 (B)But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to ^(C)the queen of heaven ^(D)and pour out drink offerings to her, ^(E)as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. ¹⁸ But since we left off making offerings to ^(F)the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything ^(G)and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, ^(A)men and women, all the people who had given him this answer: ^21 (B)“As for the offerings that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your officials, and the people of the land, ^(C)did not the Lord remember them? Did it not come into his mind? ^22 (D)The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and ^(E)the abominations that you committed. ^(F)Therefore your land has become ^(G)a desolation and a waste and a curse, ^(H)without inhabitant, as it is this day. ²³ It is because you made offerings ^(I)and because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey the voice of the Lord or walk in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies ^(J)that this disaster has happened to you, as at this day.”