Yesaya 57:5-10

57:5 you who practice ritual sex¹ under the oaks and every green tree,

who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs.²

57:6 Among the smooth stones of the stream are the idols you love;

they, they are the object of your devotion.³

You pour out liquid offerings to them,

you make an offering.

Because of these things I will seek vengeance.⁴

57:7 On every high, elevated hill you prepare your bed;

you go up there to offer sacrifices.

57:8 Behind the door and doorpost you put your symbols.⁵

Indeed,⁶ you depart from me⁷ and go up

and invite them into bed with you.⁸

You purchase favors from them,⁹

you love their bed,

and gaze longingly¹⁰ on their genitals.¹¹

57:9 You take olive oil as tribute¹² to your king,¹³

along with many perfumes.¹⁴

You send your messengers to a distant place;

you go all the way to Sheol.¹⁵

57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired,¹⁶

but you do not say, ‘I give up.’¹⁷

You get renewed energy,¹⁸

so you don’t collapse.¹⁹

Ulangan 32:17

32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not God,

to gods they had not known;

to new gods who had recently come along,

gods your ancestors²⁰ had not known about.

Yeremia 2:28

2:28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves?

Let them save you when you are in trouble.

The sad fact is that²¹ you have as many gods

as you have towns, Judah.

Yehezkiel 23:41-42

23:41 You sat on a magnificent couch, with a table arranged in front of it where you placed my incense and my olive oil. 23:42 The sound of a carefree crowd accompanied her,²² including all kinds of men;²³ even Sabeans²⁴ were brought from the desert. The sisters²⁵ put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.

Yehezkiel 23:1

Two Sisters

23:1 The word of the Lord came to me:

Kolose 1:20-21

1:20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him,²⁶ whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Paul’s Goal in Ministry

1:21 And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your²⁷ minds²⁸ as expressed through²⁹ your evil deeds,