¹⁷ They sacrificed to demons, who were not God,
To gods whom they have not known,
New gods who came lately,
Whom your fathers did not know.

³⁷ They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
³⁸ And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was defiled with the blood.
³⁹ So they became unclean in their ^[a]practices,
And ^[b]were unfaithful in their deeds.

⁴⁰ Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people,
And He loathed His ^[c]inheritance.
⁴¹ So He handed them over to the ^[d]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
⁴² Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their ^[e]power.
⁴³ Many times He would rescue them;
They, however, were rebellious in their plan,
And they sank down into their guilt.

⁴⁴ Nevertheless He looked at their distress
When He heard their cry;
⁴⁵ And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And ^[f]relented according to the greatness of His mercy.
⁴⁶ He also made them objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.

⁴⁷ Save us, Lord our God,
And gather us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in Your praise.
⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
And all the people shall say, “Amen.”
^[g]Praise ^[h]the Lord!