The people of Israel were like a grapevine that was full of grapes. The more prosperous they were, the more altars they built. The more productive their land was, the more beautiful they made the sacred stone pillars they worship.

The people whose hearts are deceitful must now suffer for their sins. God will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

The hilltop shrines of Aven, where the people of Israel worship idols, will be destroyed. Thorns and weeds will grow up over their altars. The people will call out to the mountains, "Hide us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"

Yet idols are worshiped in Gilead, and those who worship them will die. Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal, and the altars there will become piles of stone in the open fields."

I reached out to punish those kingdoms that worship idols, idols more numerous than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.

I have destroyed Samaria and all its idols, and I will do the same to Jerusalem and the images that are worshiped there."

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

So then, I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. And there you will serve other gods day and night, and I will show you no mercy.' "