2 Kings 17:7–18

Why Israel Fell

⁷This disaster happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt ^aand because they had worshiped ^bother gods. ^c8They had lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites ^dand the customs the kings of Israel had introduced. ^e9The Israelites secretly did what was not right ^fagainst the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower ^gto fortified city. ¹⁰They set up for themselves sacred pillars ^hand Asherah poles ⁱon every high hill and under every green tree. ^j11They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that the Lord had driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking the Lord. ¹²They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.” ^k13Still, the Lord warned ^lIsrael and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commands and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets.” ^m

¹⁴But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like ⁿtheir ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God. ^o15They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors ^pand the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, ^qfollowing the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate. ^r

¹⁶They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images ^sfor themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. ^tThey worshiped the whole heavenly host ^uand served Baal. ^v17They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire ^wand practiced divination and interpreted omens. ^xThey devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and provoked Him. ^y

¹⁸Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. ^zOnly the tribe of Judah remained. ^a