2 Kings 17:13–18

¹³Still, the Lord warned^b Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through my servants the prophets.”^c

¹⁴But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like^D their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.^{d 15}They rejected his statutes and his covenant he had made with their ancestors^e and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves,^f following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.^g

¹⁶They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images^h for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole.ⁱ They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky^j and served Baal.^{k 17}They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire^El and practiced divination and interpreted omens.^m They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and angered him.ⁿ

¹⁸Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence.^o Only the tribe of Judah remained.^p