KJV ORIGINAL
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The children collect wood, the fathers start the fire, and the women mix their dough to bake cakes for the queen of heaven. They also pour out drink offerings to other gods, doing all this to make me angry.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is describing how entire families work together to worship false gods, which deeply grieves and angers Him.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from Jeremiah's temple sermon around 609-605 BC, when the people of Judah were worshiping Ishtar (called 'queen of heaven'), a Babylonian fertility goddess. Whole families participated in these pagan rituals, making special cakes and offering drinks to foreign deities while neglecting their covenant with God.
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