But the children of Israel, adding new sins to their old ones, did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served idols, Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Syria and of Sidon and of Moab and of the children of Ammon and of the Philistines. And they left the Lord, and did not serve him.
But after Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and committed fornication with Baalim. And they made a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god.
How canst thou say: I am not polluted, and I have not walked after Baalim? See thy ways in the valley, know what thou hast done: as a swift runner pursuing his course.
And he made his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of Benennom. He observed dreams, followed divinations, gave himself up to magic arts, had with him magicians and enchanters: and he wrought many evils before the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: Who strengthened against them Eglon king of Moab: because they did evil in his sight.
And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people rising up will go a-fornicating after strange gods in the land, to which it goeth in to dwell. There will they forsake me, and will make void the covenant, which I have made with them,
That night the Lord said to him: Take a bullock of thy father's, and another bullock of seven years. And thou shalt destroy the altar of Baal, which is thy father's: and cut down the grove that is about the altar.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin.
But they provoked thee to wrath, and departed from thee, and threw thy law behind their backs. And they killed thy prophets, who admonished them earnestly to return to thee. And they were guilty of great blasphemies.
They are returned to the former iniquities of their fathers who refused to hear my words: so these likewise have gone after strange gods, to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Juda have made void my covenant which I made with their fathers.
If you shall beget sons and grandsons, and abide in the land, and being deceived, make to yourselves any similitude, committing evil before the Lord your God, to provoke him to wrath:
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If you turn to the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, Baalim and Astaroth. And prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
It was he that burnt incense in the valley of Benennom, and consecrated his sons in the fire, according to the manner of the nations which the Lord slew at the coming of the children of Israel.
Of old time thou hast broken my yoke, thou hast burst my bands, and thou saidst: I will not serve. For on every high hill and under every green, tree thou didst prostitute thyself.
Thou shalt say to them: Because your fathers forsook me, saith the Lord, and went after strange gods and served them and adored them: and they forsook me and kept not my law.
And they came in and possessed it: but they obeyed not thy voice and they walked not in thy law. And they did not any of those things that thou didst command them to do: and all these evils are come upon them.