“He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.”
The verses contrast those slaughtering oxen, offering lamb or cereal offerings, burning frankincense, or blessing idols—whose practices are equated with destroying livestock, breaking necks of birds, or making bloodstained offerings—establishing that covenant infidelity and idolatry are the true abominations. The accusation equates religious practice with violence: the difference between legitimate sacrifice and idolatry collapses. The statement that such people chose their own ways and delighted in abominations indicates intentional rebellion. The verse establishes that external religious practice is inseparable from moral-spiritual orientation: right action requires right intention.
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