# Why should I pardon these people?

Yahweh uses this question to emphasize that he has no reason to pardon these people. Alternate translation: "Because of the things that they do, I cannot pardon these people." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# these people

the people of Jerusalem

# Your sons

Yahweh is speaking to Jerusalem as though she were a woman who had children. Jerusalem's "sons" represent the people of Jerusalem. Alternate translation: "The people of Jerusalem" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])

# I fed them fully

Providing all they needed is spoken of as feeding them. Alternate translation: "I gave them everything they needed" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# they committed adultery and walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes

This may be a metaphor for being unfaithful to God and worshiping idols, but idol worship also included prostitution. Alternate translation: "they were unfaithful to me and went in large numbers to the houses of prostitutes" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes

"went in large groups to the houses of prostitutes" or "large groups of them went to the houses of prostitutes"