For he rebuiltthe highplaceswhichHezekiahhis fatherhad destroyed;and he erectedaltarsfor Baaland madean Asherah,as Ahabkingof Israelhad done,and worshipedallthe hostof heavenand servedthem.
Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
Then they tookthe oxwhichwas giventhem and they preparedit and calledon the nameof Baalfrom morninguntilnoonsaying,"O Baal,answerus." But therewas novoiceand nooneanswered.And they leapedaboutthe altarwhichthey made.
Neverthelessthey did not turnawayfrom the sinsof the houseof Jeroboam,with whichhe made Israelsin,but walkedin them; and the Asherahalsoremained standingin Samaria.
They forsookallthe commandmentsof the LORDtheir Godand madefor themselves moltenimages,[even] twocalves,and madean Asherahand worshipedallthe hostof heavenand servedBaal.
"But ifyou sayto me, 'We trustin the LORDour God,'is it not He whosehighplacesand whose altarsHezekiahhas takenaway,and has saidto Judahand to Jerusalem,'You shall worshipbeforethisaltarin Jerusalem'?
He removedthe highplacesand brokedownthe [sacred] pillarsand cutdownthe Asherah.He also brokein piecesthe bronzeserpentthat Moseshad made,for untilthosedaysthe sonsof Israelburnedincenseto it; and it was calledNehushtan.
He walkedin the wayof the kingsof Israel,justas the houseof Ahabhad done,for the daughterof Ahabbecamehis wife;and he didevilin the sightof the LORD.
He walkedin the wayof the houseof Ahaband didevilin the sightof the LORD,like the houseof Ahab[had done], becausehe was a son-in-lawof the houseof Ahab.
Has not the sameHezekiahtakenawayHis highplacesand His altars,and saidto Judahand Jerusalem,"You shall worshipbeforeonealtar,and on it you shall burnincense"?
For in the eighthyearof his reignwhile he was stilla youth,he beganto seekthe Godof his fatherDavid;and in the twelfthyearhe beganto purgeJudahand Jerusalemof the highplaces,the Asherim,the carvedimagesand the moltenimages.
IfI have lookedat the sunwhenit shoneOr the moongoingin splendor,
"But you who forsakethe LORD,WhoforgetMy holymountain,Whoseta tablefor Fortune,And who fill[cups] with mixedwinefor Destiny,
"For the sonsof Judahhave donethat whichis evilin My sight,"declaresthe LORD,"they have settheir detestablethingsin the housewhichis calledby My name,to defileit.
"The statutesof OmriAnd allthe worksof the houseof Ahabare observed;And in their devicesyou walk.ThereforeI will giveyou up for destructionAnd your inhabitantsfor derision,And you will bearthe reproachof My people."
"You shall not plantfor yourself an Asherahof anykind of treebesidethe altarof the LORDyour God,whichyou shall makefor yourself.
"Ifthere is foundin your midst,in anyof your towns,whichthe LORDyour Godis givingyou, a manora womanwhodoeswhatis evilin the sightof the LORDyour God,by transgressingHis covenant,
and has goneand servedothergodsand worshipedthem, or the sunorthe moonoranyof the heavenlyhost,whichI have not commanded,
sothat they may not teachyou to doaccording to alltheir detestablethingswhichthey have donefor their gods,so that you would sinagainst the LORDyour God.
"And [beware] not to liftup your eyesto heavenand seethe sunand the moonand the stars,allthe hostof heaven,and be drawnawayand worshipthem and servethem, those whichthe LORDyour Godhas allottedto allthe peoplesunderthe wholeheaven.
