bewarethat you are not ensnaredto followthem, afterthey are destroyedbeforeyou, and that you do not inquireafter their gods,saying,'Howdo thesenationsservetheir gods,that I alsomay dolikewise?'
Now KingAhazwentto Damascusto meetTiglath-pileserkingof Assyria,and sawthe altarwhich[was] at Damascus;and KingAhazsentto Urijahthe priestthe patternof the altarand its model,according to allits workmanship.
They rejectedHis statutesand His covenantwhichHe madewith their fathersand His warningswith whichHe warnedthem. And they followedvanityand becamevain,and [went] afterthe nationswhichsurroundedthem, concerning whichthe LORDhad commandedthem not to dolike them.
"You shall not worshiptheir gods,norservethem, nordoaccording to their deeds;but you shall utterlyoverthrowthem and breaktheir [sacred] pillarsin pieces.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Do not learnthe wayof the nations,And do not be terrifiedby the signsof the heavensAlthoughthe nationsare terrifiedby them;
"Thus you will knowthat I am the LORD;for you have not walkedin My statutesnorhave you executedMy ordinances,but have actedaccording to the ordinancesof the nationsaroundyou."'"
"When I had broughtthem into the landwhichI sworeto giveto them, then they saweveryhighhilland everyleafytree,and they offeredtheretheir sacrificesand therethey presentedthe provocationof their offering.Therealso they madetheir soothingaromaand therethey pouredout their drinkofferings.
"What comesinto your mindwill not comeabout, whenyou say:'We will be like the nations,like the tribesof the lands,servingwoodand stone.'
You shall not dowhatis donein the landof Egyptwhereyou lived,norare you to dowhatis donein the landof CanaanwhereI am bringingyou; you shall not walkin their statutes.
Thus you are to keepMy charge,that you do not practiceanyof the abominablecustomswhichhave been practicedbeforeyou, so as not to defileyourselves with them; I am the LORDyour God.'"
then you shall driveout allthe inhabitantsof the landfrom beforeyou, and destroyalltheir figuredstones,and destroyalltheir moltenimagesand demolishalltheir highplaces;
And do not be conformedto thisworld,but be transformedby the renewingof your mind,sothat you may provewhatthe willof Godis, that which is goodand acceptableand perfect.
SothisI say,and affirmtogetherwith the Lord,that you walkno longerjustas the Gentilesalsowalk,in the futilityof their mind,
"Bewarethat your heartsare not deceived,and that you do not turnawayand serveothergodsand worshipthem.
"Whenthe LORDyour Godcutsoffbeforeyou the nationswhichyou are goingin to dispossess,and you dispossessthem and dwellin their land,
"You shall not behavethustoward the LORDyour God,for everyabominableactwhichthe LORDhatesthey have donefor their gods;for they evenburntheir sonsand daughtersin the fireto their gods.
"Whenyou enterthe landwhichthe LORDyour Godgivesyou, you shall not learnto imitatethe detestablethingsof thosenations.
sothat they may not teachyou to doaccording to alltheir detestablethingswhichthey have donefor their gods,so that you would sinagainst the LORDyour God.
"You shall consumeallthe peopleswhomthe LORDyour Godwill deliverto you; your eyeshall not pitythem, norshall you servetheir gods,for that [would be] a snareto you.
