high places

05-DEU/12.usfm

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 \v 2 When you drive out those people groups whose land you will take, you must destroy all the places where they worshiped their gods, places on the tops of mountains and hills and beside large trees.
 
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-\v 3 You must tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn the statues of their goddess Asherah and chop down their carved figures, in order that no one will ever worship them in those places again.
+\v 3 You must tear down their altars and smash their pillars. Burn the statues of their goddess Asherah and chop down their carved figures, in order that no one will ever worship them in those places again.
 \p
 \v 4 Do not worship Yahweh like the people in Canaan worship their gods.
 

07-JDG/17.usfm

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
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-\v 5 He had in his house a special shrine. He made a sacred vest and some household idols and Micah gave one of his sons the task of being the priest for all his idols. 
+\v 5 He had a house in which he worshiped his idols. He made a vest that was worn by priests, and some household idols and Micah gave one of his sons the task of being the priest for all his idols. 
 \v 6 At that time, the Israel did not have a king, and everyone did what was right, as they saw it.
 
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09-1SA/01.usfm

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 
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-\v 24 After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the shrine with a three year old bull, about twenty liters of flour, and a container of wine.
+\v 24 After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the house of Yahweh that was at Shiloh. She took along with her and her son a three year old bull, about twenty liters of flour, and a container of wine. 
 \v 25 After Hannah and Elkanah had slaughtered the bull and offered it to Yahweh on the altar, they brought the boy to Eli.
 
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09-1SA/03.usfm

@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
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-\v 1 While he was still a boy, Samuel was working at the shrine of Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages that anyone received from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions that Yahweh gave them.
+\v 1 While he was still a boy, Samuel was serving Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages that anyone received from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions that Yahweh gave them.
 \p
 \v 2 By that time Eli's eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. One night he was sleeping in his room,
-\v 3 and Samuel was sleeping in the shrine, where the sacred chest was kept. While the sacred lamp was still burning,
-\v 4 Yahweh called, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel replied, "I am here!"
+\v 3 and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of Yahweh, where the sacred chest was kept. There was  a lamp there that represented the presence of God, and it was still burning.
+\v 4 Just then Yahweh called, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel replied, "I am here!"
 
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09-1SA/10.usfm

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 
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-\v 25 Then Samuel told the people what things that the king would force them to do, and all the things the king was required to do. He wrote all those things in a scroll, and then he put it in the shrine of Yahweh. Then Samuel sent all the people home.
+\v 25 Then Samuel told the people what things that the king would force them to do, and all the things the king was required to do. He wrote all those things in a scroll, and then he put it in the place of the temple where Yahweh was. Then Samuel sent all the people home.
 
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11-1KI/13.usfm

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 \v 32 And do not forget what he said, things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and what Yahweh told him to say about the places where they worshiped idols on the hills around the towns in Samaria. Those things will surely happen."
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-\v 33 But King Jeroboam still did not turn away from continuing to do the evil things that he was doing. Instead, he appointed more priests from men who were not descended from Levi. He appointed as priest anyone who agreed to become one, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hill tops.
+\v 33 But King Jeroboam still did not turn away from continuing to do the evil things that he was doing. Instead, he appointed more priests from men who were not descended from Levi. He appointed as priest anyone who agreed to become one, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hilltops.
 \v 34 Because he committed that sin, a few years later God got rid of most of Jeroboam's descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
 
 

11-1KI/22.usfm

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
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 \v 45 All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his troops won, are written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Judah.
-\v 46 Jehoshaphat's father Asa had tried to expel the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
+\v 46 Jehoshaphat removed from the land the male prostitutes that still lived in that region. These were same the male prostitutes who had lived there in the time of his father Asa.
 \p
 \v 47 At that time, there was no king in Edom. A ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
 

12-2KI/17.usfm

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 \v 31 The people from Avva made idols to represent their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. The people from Sepharvaim sacrificed their own children. They completely burned them on altars to be offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
 
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-\v 32 But those people also worshiped Yahweh, and they appointed from among their own groups many people to be priests at the shrines, in order that those priests could offer sacrifices for them there.
+\v 32 But those people also worshiped Yahweh, but they also appointed from among their own groups many people to be priests at the places where idols were worshiped on the hills, and these priests could would offer sacrifices for them upon the high places.
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 \v 33 So they revered Yahweh, but they also worshiped their own gods, just as their people living in their home countries did.
 

14-2CH/01.usfm

@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 
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-\v 2-5 When David had been king, he arranged for a new sacred tent to be made in Jerusalem. Then David and the Israelite leaders brought God's sacred chest from the city of Kiriath Jearim to the new sacred tent. But when Solomon became the king, the first sacred tent was still in the city of Gibeon. That was the tent that Moses, who had been a servant of God, had commanded to be made in the wilderness. The bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur, had made was also still at Gibeon, in front of the first sacred tent.
-\p One day Solomon summoned the army commanders of one thousand soldiers and the commanders of one hundred soldiers, with the judges and all the other leaders in Israel. He told them to go with him to Gibeon. So they all went to the shrine at Gibeon where the sacred tent was, and Solomon and all the others with him worshiped Yahweh there.
+\v 2-5 When David had been king, he arranged for a new sacred tent to be made in Jerusalem. Then David and the Israelite leaders brought God's sacred chest from the city of Kiriath Jearim to the new sacred tent. But when Solomon became the king, the first sacred tent was still in the city of Gibeon. There was a bronze altar there that Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur, had made was also still at Gibeon, in front of the first sacred tent.
+\p Solomon called together the army commanders of one thousand soldiers and the commanders of one hundred soldiers, with the judges and all the other leaders in Israel. He told them to go with him to Gibeon. So they all went to the place on the hill where idols were worshiped at Gibeon. That was the same place where God had met with his people in the tent which Moses had made. There Solomon and all the others with him prayed to Yahweh. 
 
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 \v 6 Then Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the sacred tent, and he offered one thousand animals to be killed and completely burned on the altar.

14-2CH/14.usfm

@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 
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 \v 2 Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.
-\v 3 His workers got rid of the altars to worship foreign gods that were at the shrines. They smashed the sacred stone pillars and cut down the poles that were there for the goddess Asherah.
+\v 3 His workers got rid of the altars to worship foreign gods that were at the hilltops where the idols were worshiped. They smashed the stone pillars and cut down the poles that were there for the goddess Asherah.
 \v 4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship only Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to seek his will and obey his commands.
 
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-\v 5 His workers destroyed all the shrines and the altars for burning incense to idols in every town in Judah. As a result, there was peace while Asa ruled the kingdom of Judah.
+\v 5 His workers destroyed all the places where idols were worshiped on the hilltops, and the altars for burning incense to idols, in every town in Judah. As a result, there was peace while Asa ruled the kingdom of Judah.
 \v 6 His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during those years, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.
 
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14-2CH/17.usfm

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
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 \v 5 Yahweh enabled him to completely control his kingdom. All the people of Judah brought gifts to him, with the result that he became very rich and was greatly honored.
-\v 6 He was completely devoted to doing what pleased Yahweh. His workers got rid of the shrines and the poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah throughout Judah.
+\v 6 He was completely devoted to doing what pleased Yahweh. His workers got rid of the places on hilltops were idols were worshiped and the places where poles were set up and used to worship the goddess Asherah all throughout Judah.
 
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14-2CH/28.usfm

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
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 \v 24 Ahaz gathered all the furnishings that were used in the temple and broke them into pieces. He locked the doors of the temple and set up altars for worshiping idols at every street corner in Jerusalem.
-\v 25 In every city in Judah, his workers built houses on the hill tops, and there they burned sacrifices to other gods, and that caused Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, to be very angry with them.
+\v 25 In every city in Judah, his workers built houses on the hilltops, and there they burned sacrifices to other gods, and that caused Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, to be very angry with them.
 
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24-JER/32.usfm

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
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 \v 33 My people have turned away from me and have refused to return to me. Even though I taught them things many times, they would not pay attention to what I taught them, and they would not obey me.
 \v 34 They have set up their detestable idols even in my own temple and defiled it.
-\v 35 They have built shrines to honor Baal in Ben Hinnom Valley outside Jerusalem, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to their god Molech. I never commanded them to do such horrible deeds. I never even considered ordering such a terrible thing. And by doing it they have caused all the people of Judah to be guilty of having sinned."
+\v 35 They have built on the hilltops places to worship Baal in Ben Hinnom Valley outside Jerusalem, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to their god Molech. I never commanded them to do such horrible deeds. I never even considered ordering such a terrible thing. And by doing it they have caused all the people of Judah to be guilty of having sinned."
 
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24-JER/43.usfm

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
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 \v 11 When his army comes, they will attack Egypt. Then those will die who I have determined must die, those who I have determined must be captured will be captured, and those who I have determined must be killed by swords will be killed by swords.
 \v 12 Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt and take away their idols as souvenirs. His troops will clean Egypt like a shepherd cleans lice from his cloak and leave without having been harmed.
-\v 13 But before they leave, they will have torn down the sacred pillars that are in the temple of their sun god and burned all of the temple of the false Egyptian gods."'"
+\v 13 But before they leave, they will have torn down the pillars that are in the temple of their sun god and burned all of the temple of the false Egyptian gods."'"
 
 
 

26-EZK/06.usfm

@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 \v 5 Their corpses will lie in front of their idols, and their bones will be scattered around their altars.
 
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-\v 6 Wherever you Israelites live, your towns will be ruined and the shrines where you worship idols will be smashed. Your altars will be completely smashed, and everything that you own will become a pile of ruins.
-\v 7 Many of your people will be killed right in front of you; and then you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do the things that I say that I will do.
+\v 6 Wherever you live, your towns will be ruined and the places where idols were worshiped on the hilltops will be smashed. Your altars will be completely smashed, and everything that you own will become a pile of ruins.
+\v 7 Many of your people will be killed right in front of you, and then you will know that I am Yahweh and I do what I say I will do. 
 
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26-EZK/08.usfm

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
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-\v 12 God said to me, "Son of man, look at what the Israelite elders are doing here in the darkness, each of them standing in front of the shrine of his own idol! They are saying, 'Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has deserted this country.'"
+\v 12 God said to me, "Son of man, look at what the Israelite elders are doing here in the darkness, each of them standing in his rooms with the carved images, worshiping his own idols! They are saying, 'Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has deserted this country.'"
 \v 13 He also said, "But you will see things that are even more detestable!"
 
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26-EZK/16.usfm

@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@
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 \v 23 So I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that terrible things will happen to you. In addition to all the other wicked things that you did,
-\v 24 you built a shrine to worship idols in every city square.
+\v 24 you built yourself a tall building in which you worship idols and you built a place to worship idols in every city square.
 
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-\v 25 At the beginning of every street you built a shrine, and showed people your beautiful body, offering it to sleep with every man who walked by, becoming a better known prostitute every day.
+\v 25 At the beginning of every street you built a a tall building for the worship of idols, and showed people your beautiful body, offering it to sleep with every man who walked by, and so you were known as a prostitute and your fame for your immorality grew every day.
 \v 26 It was as though you had slept with men from Egypt who were eager to sleep with you, men who lived near Israel. You caused me to become very angry because you became more eager to sleep with more and more of them.
 
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28-HOS/03.usfm

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
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-\v 4 When I do these things, this is to show that the people of Israel will live for a long time and not have any king ruling over them. They will have no prince, no sacrifices or sacred pillars set up for worship, ephods or idols in their houses.
+\v 4 When I do these things, this is to show that the people of Israel will live for a long time and not have any king ruling over them. They will have no prince, no sacrifices or pillars set up for worship, ephods or idols in their houses.
 \v 5 After some time, the people of Israel will return to Yahweh; they will hope that he will receive them back. They will hope to have a descendant of David for their king again. In the later time, they will come to Yahweh to honor him and tremble before him because of his goodness to them.
 
 

28-HOS/04.usfm

@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@
 \v 14 But I will not punish the women for turning to prostitution,
 \q1 or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery.
 \q2 It is the men who are doing the very same thing! 
-\q1 They sleep with prostitutes,
-\q2 and they offer sacrifices in the houses of idols where there are prostitutes in the shrine for the men who come to worship the idols. 
-\q2 I will destroy this people because you do not understand what you are doing!
+\q1 The men sleep with prostitutes,
+\q2 and they offer sacrifices in the houses of idols where there are prostitutes. 
+\q2 It is true: "A people who have not lived as they were taught to live, will come to destruction." 
 \b
 
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28-HOS/10.usfm

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 \q2 but the time has come that they must pay for their sins. 
 \q1 Yahweh will break their altars into pieces— 
 \q2 the places where they gave sacrifices to their idols, 
-\q2 and he promises to destroy those sacred pillars beside which they worshiped their false gods.
+\q2 and he promises to destroy those pillars beside which they worshiped their false gods.
 
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33-MIC/05.usfm

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 \v 12 I will get rid of all those among you who practice magic
 \q2 and the fortune tellers.
 \q1
-\v 13 I will destroy all your idols and sacred stone pillars,
+\v 13 I will destroy all your idols and stone pillars,
 \q2 and then you will no longer bow down and worship things that you yourselves have made.
 \q1
 \v 14 I will get rid of your poles that represent the goddess Asherah,