Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,^(A) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality^(B) with Moabite^(C) women,^{(D) 2} who invited them to the sacrifices^(E) to their gods.^(F) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.

¹² The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,^(A) but they will not help them at all when disaster^(B) strikes.

⁸ Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,^(A) burning incense^(B) to other gods in Egypt,^(C) where you have come to live?^(D) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse^[a] and an object of reproach^(E) among all the nations on earth.

²⁵ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives^(A) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’^(B)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!^(C)