"I will punishher for the daysof the BaalsWhenshe used to offersacrificesto them And adornherself with her earringsand jewelry,And followher lovers,so that she forgotMe," declaresthe LORD.
And Ahaziahfellthroughthe latticein his upperchamberwhich[was] in Samaria,and becameill.So he sentmessengersand saidto them, "Go,inquireof Baal-zebub,the godof Ekron,whetherI will recoverfrom thissickness."
Thus JehueradicatedBaalout of Israel.
For he rebuiltthe highplaceswhichHezekiahhis fatherhad destroyed;and he erectedaltarsfor Baaland madean Asherah,as Ahabkingof Israelhad done,and worshipedallthe hostof heavenand servedthem.
"Soare the pathsof allwhoforgetGod;And the hopeof the godlesswill perish,
They quicklyforgotHis works;They did not waitfor His counsel,
They forgotGodtheir Savior,Who had donegreatthingsin Egypt,
They forgotHis deedsAnd His miraclesthat He had shownthem.
"But gonow,leadthe peoplewhereI toldyou. Behold,My angelshall gobeforeyou; nevertheless in the daywhen I punish,I will punishthem for their sin."
For you have forgottenthe Godof your salvationAnd have not rememberedthe rockof your refuge.Thereforeyou plantdelightfulplantsAnd setthem with vineslipsof a strange[god].
Both their own iniquitiesand the iniquitiesof their fatherstogether,"saysthe LORD."Becausethey have burnedincenseon the mountainsAnd scornedMe on the hills,Therefore I will measuretheir formerworkinto their bosom."
"For your godsare as manyas your cities,O Judah;and as manyas the streetsof Jerusalemare the altarsyou have setup to the shamefulthing,altarsto burnincenseto Baal.
For My peoplehave forgottenMe, They burnincenseto worthlessgods And they have stumbledfrom their ways,From the ancientpaths,To walkin bypaths,Not on a highway,
"Can a virginforgether ornaments,Or a brideher attire?Yet My peoplehave forgottenMe Dayswithoutnumber.
Thereforethussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthe shepherdswho are tendingMy people:"You have scatteredMy flockand driventhem away,and have not attendedto them; behold,I am about to attendto you for the evilof your deeds,"declaresthe LORD.
"Then I will make to ceasefrom the citiesof Judahand from the streetsof Jerusalemthe voiceof joyand the voiceof gladness,the voiceof the bridegroomand the voiceof the bride;for the landwill becomea ruin.
"Will you steal,murder,and commitadulteryand swearfalsely,and offersacrificesto Baaland walkafterothergodsthat you have not known,
The roadsof Zionare in mourningBecausenoone comesto the appointedfeasts.Allher gatesare desolate;Her priestsare groaning,Her virginsare afflicted,And she herselfis bitter.
Eldersare gonefrom the gate,Youngmenfrom their music.
"I also puta ringin your nostril,earringsin your earsand a beautifulcrownon your head.
"You also tookyour beautifuljewels[made] of My goldand of My silver,whichI had givenyou, and madefor yourself maleimagesthat you might playthe harlotwith them.
"In you they have takenbribesto shedblood;you have takeninterestand profits,and you have injuredyour neighborsfor gainby oppression,and you have forgottenMe," declaresthe LordGOD.
"Therefore,thussaysthe LordGOD,'Becauseyou have forgottenMe and castMe behindyour back,bearnowthe [punishment] of your lewdnessand your harlotries.'"
The more they calledthem, The morethey wentfrom them; They kept sacrificingto the BaalsAnd burningincenseto idols.
When Ephraimspoke,[there was] trembling.He exaltedhimselfin Israel,But through Baalhe didwrongand died.
As [they had] their pasture,they becamesatisfied,And beingsatisfied,their heartbecameproud;Thereforethey forgotMe.
"For their motherhas playedthe harlot;She who conceivedthem has actedshamefully.For she said,I will goaftermy lovers,Who give[me] my breadand my water,My wooland my flax,my oiland my drink.'
"She will pursueher lovers,but she will not overtakethem; And she will seekthem, but will not find[them]. Then she will say,I will gobackto my firsthusband,For it was betterfor me thenthannow!'
They offersacrificeson the topsof the mountainsAnd burnincenseon the hills,Underoak,poplarand terebinth,Becausetheir shadeis pleasant.Thereforeyour daughtersplaythe harlotAnd your bridescommitadultery.
My peopleare destroyedfor lackof knowledge.Becauseyou have rejectedknowledge,I also will rejectyou from being My priest.Since you have forgottenthe lawof your God,I alsowill forgetyour children.
For Israelhas forgottenhis Makerand builtpalaces;And Judahhas multipliedfortifiedcities,But I will senda fireon its citiesthat it may consumeits palatialdwellings.
The daysof punishmenthave come,The daysof retributionhave come;Let Israelknow[this]! The prophetis a fool,The inspiredmanis demented,Becauseof the grossnessof your iniquity,And [because] your hostilityis [so] great.
"Then I will turnyour festivalsinto mourningAnd allyour songsinto lamentation;And I will bringsackclothon everyone'sloinsAnd baldnesson everyhead.And I will makeit like [a time of] mourningfor an onlyson,And the endof it will be like a bitterday.
"You neglectedthe Rockwho begotyou, And forgotthe Godwho gaveyou birth.
then watchyourself, that you do not forgetthe LORDwhobroughtyou from the landof Egypt,out of the houseof slavery.
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.
The sonsof Israeldidwhatwas evilin the sightof the LORD,and forgotthe LORDtheir Godand servedthe Baalsand the Asheroth.
"But they forgotthe LORDtheir God,so He soldthem into the handof Sisera,captainof the armyof Hazor,and into the handof the Philistinesand into the handof the kingof Moab,and they foughtagainst them.
