Deuteronomy 16:21 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition 2021 “You shall not plant any tree as a sacred pole beside the altar that you make for the Lord your God, More versionsKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition You shall not plant for yourselves any kind of tree dedicated to [the goddess] Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God which you shall make. American Standard Version (1901) Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Common English Bible Don’t plant any tree to serve as a sacred pole next to the altar you make for the LORD your God. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall not plant a sacred grove, nor shall you plant any tree near the altar of the Lord your God; Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Thou shalt plant no grove, nor any tree near the altar of the Lord thy God. |
“The Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water; he will root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their sacred poles, provoking the Lord to anger.
Ahab also made a sacred pole. Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than had all the kings of Israel who were before him.
They rejected all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves; they made a sacred pole, worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal, made a sacred pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
The carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever;
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had pulled down and erected altars to the Baals, made sacred poles, worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.
Rather, you shall tear down their altars, break their pillars, and cut down their sacred poles,
“You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them, for I am the Lord your God.
But this is how you must deal with them: break down their altars, smash their pillars, cut down their sacred poles, and burn their idols with fire.
The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, forgetting the Lord their God and serving the Baals and the Asherahs.