16 “As for the 1amessage that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, bwe are not going to listen to you!

17 “But rather we will certainly acarry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, 1by burning 2sacrifices to the bqueen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as cwe ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had dplenty of 3food and were well off and saw no 4misfortune.

18 “But since we stopped burning 1sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have alacked everything and have 2met our end by the sword and by famine.”

19 “And,” said the women, “when we were aburning 1sacrifices to the queen of heaven and 2were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it bwithout our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes 3in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Calamity for the Jews

20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying,

21 “As for the 1asmoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the bstreets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord cremember them and did not all this come into His 2mind?

22 “So the Lord was ano longer able to endure it, bbecause of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a cruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.

23 “Because you have burned 1sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and anot obeyed the voice of the Lord or bwalked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this ccalamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”