2 Kings 17:8–20

⁸They 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. ^a19Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God ^bbut lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. ^c20So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence. ^d