Once again the priests’ answer consists of one word in Hebrew (“defiled”), which represents the starting point for the prophet’s main thrust.17 God is drawing an analogy between the defilement in the scenario and the defilement of the people. Note the repetition of the Hebrew word ken (“so,” which looks back to the priests’ answer) three times in verse 14 before repeating the priests’ answer again at the end of the verse: (lit.) “So this people, and so this nation before me, declares the LORD, and