WHY ISRAEL FELL

7 This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egyptac and because they worshipedF other gods.ad 8 They lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelitesae and according to what the kings of Israel did.af 9 The Israelites secretly did thingsG against the Lord their God that were not right. They built high places in all their towns from watchtowerag to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillarsah and Asherah polesai on every high hill and under every green tree.aj 11 They burned incense there on all the high places just like the nations that the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did evil things, angering the Lord. 12 They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.”a