²³ He said, “Then ^(A)put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(A)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

Choose Whom You Will Serve

^14 (A)“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. ^(B)Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

²⁸ Therefore let us be grateful for receiving ^(A)a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus ^(B)let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our ^(C)God is a consuming fire.

Samuel Judges Israel

³ And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ^(A)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then ^(B)put away the foreign gods and the ^(C)Ashtaroth from among you and ^(D)direct your heart to the Lord ^(E)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

¹⁵ And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” ¹⁶ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and ^(A)he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

² So Jacob said to his ^(A)household and to all who were with him, “Put away ^(B)the foreign gods that are among you and ^(C)purify yourselves and change your garments. ³ Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God ^(D)who answers me in the day of my distress and ^(E)has been with me wherever I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under ^(F)the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

¹⁹ What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that ^(A)an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^(B)they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ^21 (C)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ^(D)the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(E)the table of demons.