¹⁷ But we will certainly do ^(A)whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the ^(B)queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of ^[a]food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.

¹⁸ But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”