8I am not rebuking you for making sacrifices to me, for the offerings that you completely burn on the altar.
9But I do not really need you to sacrifice the bulls from your barns and the goats from your pens,
10because all the animals in the forest belong to me, and all the cattle on a thousand hills also belong to me.
11I own and know all the birds and all the creatures that move around in the fields.
12So, if I were hungry, I would not tell you to bring me some food, because everything in the world belongs to me!
13I do not eat the flesh of the bulls that you sacrifice, and I do not drink the blood of the goats that you offer to me.
14The sacrifice that I really want is that you thank me and do all that you have promised to do.
15And pray to me when you have troubles. If you do that, I will rescue you, and then you will praise me.
16But I say this to the wicked people: ◄Why do you/It does not benefit you at all to► RHQ recite my commandments or talk about the agreement that I made with you,