Grievously had the children of Israel "sinned against the Lord their God, . . . and wrought wicked things." "They would not hear, but . . . rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His 292 testimonies which He testified against them." It was because they had "left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal," and refused steadfastly to repent, that the Lord "afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight," in harmony with the plain warnings He had sent them "by all His servants the prophets."

Israels børn syndede groft "mod Herren deres Gud ..... og øvede onde ting". "De ville ikke høre; ..... de lod hånt om hans anordninger og den pagt, han havde sluttet med deres fædre, og om de vidnesbyrd, han havde givet dem." Det var, fordi de "sagde sig løs fra Herren deres Guds bud og lavede sig støbte billeder, to tyrekalve," samt "asjerastøtter, tilbad hele himmelens hær og dyrkede Baal" og hårdnakket nægtede at angre, at Herren "ydmygede dem, gav dem til pris for røvere" og til sidst stødte dem "bort fra sit åsyn" i overensstemmelse med de tydelige advarsler, som han havde sendt dem "ved alle sine tjenere profeterne".