Then Samuelspoketo allthe houseof Israel,saying,"Ifyou returnto the LORDwith allyour heart,removethe foreigngodsand the Ashtarothfrom amongyou and directyour heartsto the LORDand serveHim alone;and He will deliveryou from the handof the Philistines."
So Jacobsaidto his householdand to allwhowere with him, "Putawaythe foreigngodswhichare amongyou, and purifyyourselves and changeyour garments;
becausethey have forsakenMe, and have worshipedAshtoreththe goddessof the Sidonians,Chemoshthe godof Moab,and Milcomthe godof the sonsof Ammon;and they have not walkedin My ways,doingwhatis rightin My sightand [observing] My statutesand My ordinances,as his fatherDavid[did].
if they returnto You with alltheir heartand with alltheir soulin the landof their enemieswhohave takenthem captive,and prayto You towardtheir landwhichYou have givento their fathers,the citywhichYou have chosen,and the housewhichI have builtfor Your name;
"But the LORDyour Godyou shall fear;and He will deliveryou from the handof allyour enemies."
Furthermore,the altarthat [was] at Bethel[and] the highplacewhichJeroboamthe sonof Nebat,whomade Israelsin,had made,eventhat altarand the highplacehe brokedown.Then he demolishedits stones, groundthem to dust,and burnedthe Asherah.
"Nowsetyour heartand your soulto seekthe LORDyour God;arise,therefore, and buildthe sanctuaryof the LORDGod,so that you may bringthe arkof the covenantof the LORDand the holyvesselsof Godinto the housethat is to be builtfor the nameof the LORD."
"As for you, my sonSolomon,knowthe Godof your father,and serveHim with a wholeheartand a willingmind;for the LORDsearchesallhearts,and understandseveryintentof the thoughts.Ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will rejectyou forever.
"But thereis [some] goodin you, for you have removedthe Asherothfrom the landand you have setyour heartto seekGod."
The highplaces,however,were not removed;the peoplehad not yetdirectedtheir heartsto the Godof their fathers.
everyonewho prepareshis heartto seekGod,the LORDGodof his fathers,though not according to the purification[rules] of the sanctuary."
The plansof the heartbelong to man,But the answerof the tongueis from the LORD.
Let the wickedforsakehis wayAnd the unrighteousmanhis thoughts;And let him returnto the LORD,And He will havecompassionon him, And to our God,For He will abundantlypardon.
I will givethem a heartto knowMe, for I am the LORD;and they will be My people,and I will be their God,for they will returnto Me with their wholeheart.
"Perhapsthe houseof Judahwill hearallthe calamitywhichI planto bringon them, in orderthat everymanwill turnfrom his evilway;then I will forgivetheir iniquityand their sin."
"Ifyou will return,O Israel,"declaresthe LORD,"[Then] you should returnto Me. And ifyou will putawayyour detestedthingsfrom My presence,And will not waver,
"Thereforesayto the houseof Israel,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Repentand turnawayfrom your idolsand turnyour facesawayfrom allyour abominations.
"Castawayfrom you allyour transgressionswhichyou have committedand makeyourselves a newheartand a newspirit!For whywill you die,O houseof Israel?
Return,O Israel,to the LORDyour God,For you have stumbledbecause of your iniquity.
THISPEOPLEHONORSME WITH THEIR LIPS,BUT THEIR HEARTIS FARAWAYFROM ME.
ThenJesussaidto him, "Go,Satan!For it is written,YOU SHALL WORSHIPTHE LORDYOUR GOD,AND SERVEHIM ONLY.'"
"No onecanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,orhe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth.
Jesusansweredhim, "It is written,YOU SHALL WORSHIPTHE LORDYOUR GODAND SERVEHIM ONLY.'"
"Godis spirit,and thosewho worshipHim mustworshipin spiritand truth."
"You shall fearthe LORDyour God;you shall serveHim and clingto Him, and you shall swearby His name.
"You shall followthe LORDyour Godand fearHim; and you shall keepHis commandments,listento His voice,serveHim, and clingto Him.
"But from thereyou will seekthe LORDyour God,and you will find[Him] ifyou searchfor Him with allyour heartand allyour soul.
"You shall fear[only] the LORDyour God;and you shall worshipHim and swearby His name.
also halfof Gilead,with Ashtarothand Edrei,the citiesof the kingdomof Ogin Bashan,[were] for the sonsof Machirthe sonof Manasseh,for halfof the sonsof Machiraccording to their families.
"Now,therefore, fearthe LORDand serveHim in sincerityand truth;and putawaythe godswhichyour fathersservedbeyondthe Riverand in Egypt,and servethe LORD.
"Nowtherefore, putawaythe foreigngodswhichare in your midst,and inclineyour heartsto the LORD,the Godof Israel."
So they putawaythe foreigngodsfrom amongthem and servedthe LORD;and He couldbearthe miseryof Israelnolonger.
Then the sonsof Israelagaindidevilin the sightof the LORD,servedthe Baalsand the Ashtaroth,the godsof Aram,the godsof Sidon,the godsof Moab,the godsof the sonsof Ammon,and the godsof the Philistines;thus they forsookthe LORDand did not serveHim.
Then the sonsof Israeldidevilin the sightof the LORDand servedthe Baals,
So they forsookthe LORDand servedBaaland the Ashtaroth.
They puthis weaponsin the templeof Ashtaroth,and they fastenedhis bodyto the wallof Beth-shan.
