Jeremiah 7:3-12

3This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land.

4But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”

5But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;

6only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.

7Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.

8“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie!

9Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours,

10and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again?

11Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!

12“‘Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites.