I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols.

“‘But the Levites who went far from me, straying off from me after their idols when Israel went astray, will be responsible for their sin.

From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that causes desolation is set in place, there are 1,290 days.

They will eat, but not be satisfied; they will engage in prostitution, but not increase in numbers; because they have abandoned the Lord by pursuing other gods.

Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it!

Even the calf idol will be carried to Assyria, as tribute for the great king. Ephraim will be disgraced; Israel will be put to shame because of its wooden idol.

When I please, I will discipline them; I will gather nations together to attack them, to bind them in chains for their two sins.

Is there idolatry in Gilead? Certainly its inhabitants will come to nothing! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field!

“Go to Bethel and rebel! At Gilgal rebel some more! Bring your sacrifices in the morning, your tithes on the third day!

Though all the nations follow their respective gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever.

“Because you have acted like a wanton prostitute – a seductive mistress who practices sorcery, who enslaves nations by her harlotry, and entices peoples by her sorcery –

Because of his success he offers sacrifices to his throw net and burns incense to his dragnet; for because of them he has plenty of food, and more than enough to eat.

On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with wealth taken by violence and deceit.

Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord who rules over all and to ask his favor.

For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God’s angels.

They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.

Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,

Immediately an angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.

For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”