The spirit of the LORD took control of me, and the LORD told me to give the people this message: "People of Israel, I know what you are saying and what you are planning.

This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Gog: "When that time comes, you will start thinking up an evil plan.

You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

People may plan all kinds of things, but the LORD's will is going to be done.

The will of the Lord alone is always carried out.

and said to him, "Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have."

We will do everything that we said we would. We will offer sacrifices to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out wine offerings to her, just as we and our ancestors, our king and our leaders, used to do in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we were prosperous, and had no troubles.

I, the LORD, will give you proof that I will punish you in this place and that my promise to bring destruction on you will come true.

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.

There you will serve gods made by human hands, gods of wood and stone, gods that cannot see or hear, eat or smell.

"The LORD will take you and your king away to a foreign land, where neither you nor your ancestors ever lived before; there you will serve gods made of wood and stone.

"The LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve gods made of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ancestors have ever worshiped before.

You saw their disgusting idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold.

and burned up their gods---which were no gods at all, only images of wood and stone made by human hands.

and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

The rest of the human race, all those who had not been killed by these plagues, did not turn away from what they themselves had made. They did not stop worshiping demons, nor the idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk.