⁹ ‘ “Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known?^{(A) 10} Then do you come and stand before me in this house^(B) that bears my name and say, ‘We are rescued, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts’? ¹¹ Has this house, which bears my name, become a den of robbers^(C) in your view? Yes, I too have seen it.^(D)

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Pagan Practices in the Temple

⁵ The Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, look towards the north.’ I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the Altar Gate, at the entrance. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Son of man, do you see what they are doing here – more detestable acts that the house of Israel is committing^(A) – so that I must depart from my sanctuary? You will see even more detestable acts.’

¹⁶ So he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar,^(A) with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east.^(B) They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.^(C)