57:5 you who practice ritual sex 1 under the oaks and every green tree,
who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. 2
3:13 However, you must confess that you have done wrong, 3
and that you have rebelled against the Lord your God.
You must confess 4 that you have given yourself to 5 foreign gods under every green tree,
and have not obeyed my commands,’ says the Lord.
1 tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.
2 sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
3 tn Heb “Only acknowledge your iniquity.”
4 tn The words “You must confess” are repeated to convey the connection. The Hebrew text has an introductory “that” in front of the second line and a coordinative “and” in front of the next two lines.
5 tc MT reads דְּרָכַיִךְ (dÿrakhayikh, “your ways”), but the BHS editors suggest דּוֹדַיִךְ (dodayikh, “your breasts”) as an example of orthographic confusion. While the proposal makes sense, it remains a conjectural emendation since it is not supported by any actual manuscripts or ancient versions.