¹⁷ We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess [^Ca female astral deity, probably Ashtart or Asherah], and we will certainly do everything ·we promised [^Lthat came out of our mouths]. We will ·burn incense [or make offerings] and pour out drink offerings to worship her, just as we, our ·ancestors [fathers], kings, and officers did in the past. All of us did these things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were ·successful [fine], and ·nothing bad happened to us [^Lwe saw/experienced no evil]. ¹⁸ But since we stopped ·making sacrifices [or offering incense] to the Queen Goddess and stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ·had great problems [^Llacked everything]. Our people have also been killed ·in war [^Lby sword] and by ·hunger [famine].”