2 Kings 17:7-18 ▼

7 And it came to pass that the sons of Israel had sinned against YHWH their God who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And they had feared other gods,

8 and they had walked in the statutes of the nations whom YHWH had cast out from before the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 And the sons of Israel secretly did things that were not right against YHWH their God, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from a tower of the watchers to a fortified city.

10 And they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 And they burned incense there on all the high places, like the nations whom YHWH had carried away before them, and they did wicked things to provoke YHWH.

12 For they served the idols of which YHWH had said to them, “You? shall not do this thing.”

13 And YHWH testified against Israel and against Judah by all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your? evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all of the Law that I commanded your? fathers, and that I sent to you? by My servants the prophets.”

14 And they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like the necks of their fathers who did not remain steadfast in YHWH their God.

15 And they rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He had testified against them. And they followed after the idols, and they became empty and went after the nations who were all around them, whom YHWH had commanded them that they should not do like them.

16 And they left all the commandments of YHWH their God, and they made for themselves a molten image and two calves, and they made an Asherah pole and bowed low to all the host of the heavens, and they served the Baal.

17 And their sons and daughters they caused to pass through the fire, and they practiced divination and soothsaying and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke Him.

18 And YHWH was very angry with Israel, and He turned them aside from His presence. There was none left but the tribe of Judah by itself.