^7 (A)Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to ^[a](B)open shame, as it is this day.

¹⁷ But rather we will certainly ^(A)carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, ^[a]by burning ^[b]sacrifices to the ^(B)queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as ^(C)we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had ^(D)plenty of ^[c]food and were well off and saw no ^[d]misfortune.

²¹ “As for the ^[a](A)smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the ^(B)streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord ^(C)remember them and did not all this come into His ^[b]mind?

^8 [a]Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.