39. Her sanctuary became desolate as a wilderness;her feasts were turned into mourning,Her sabbaths to shame,her honor to contempt.
40. As her glory had been, so great was her dishonor:her exaltation was turned into mourning.
41. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
42. and abandon their particular customs. All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
43. and many Israelites delighted in his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.
44. The king sent letters by messenger to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, ordering them to follow customs foreign to their land;
45. to prohibit burnt offerings, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary, to profane the sabbaths and feast days,
46. to desecrate the sanctuary and the sacred ministers,
47. to build pagan altars and temples and shrines, to sacrifice swine and unclean animals,
48. to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to defile themselves with every kind of impurity and abomination;
49. so that they might forget the law and change all its ordinances.
50. Whoever refused to act according to the command of the king was to be put to death.
51. In words such as these he wrote to his whole kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people, and he ordered the cities of Judah to offer sacrifices, each city in turn.