The sonsof Israeldidwhatwas evilin the sightof the LORD,and forgotthe LORDtheir Godand servedthe Baalsand the Asheroth.
Ahabalso madethe Asherah.Thus Ahabdidmoreto provokethe LORDGodof Israelthanallthe kingsof Israelwhowere beforehim.
"Nowthen send[and] gatherto me allIsraelat MountCarmel,[together] with 450prophetsof Baaland 400prophetsof the Asherah,who eatat Jezebel'stable."
He brokein piecesthe [sacred] pillarsand cutdownthe Asherimand filledtheir placeswith humanbones.
He broughtout the Asherahfrom the houseof the LORDoutsideJerusalemto the brookKidron,and burnedit at the brookKidron,and ground[it] to dust,and threwits duston the gravesof the commonpeople.
He alsoremovedMaacah,the motherof KingAsa,from the [position of] queenmother,becauseshe had madea horridimageas an Asherah,and Asacutdownher horridimage,crushed[it] and burned[it] at the brookKidron.
They abandonedthe houseof the LORD,the Godof their fathers,and servedthe Asherimand the idols;so wrathcameupon Judahand Jerusalemfor thistheir guilt.
His prayeralso and [how God] was entreatedby him, and allhis sin,his unfaithfulness,and the siteson whichhe builthighplacesand erectedthe Asherimand the carvedimages,beforehe humbledhimself, behold,they are writtenin the recordsof the Hozai.
For he rebuiltthe highplaceswhichHezekiahhis fatherhad brokendown;he also erectedaltarsfor the Baalsand madeAsherim,and worshipedallthe hostof heavenand servedthem.
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.
he also toredownthe altarsand beatthe Asherimand the carvedimagesinto powder,and choppeddownallthe incensealtarsthroughoutthe landof Israel.Then he returnedto Jerusalem.
But they mingledwith the nationsAnd learnedtheir practices,
And servedtheir idols,Which becamea snareto them.
Our fathersin Egyptdid not understandYour wonders;They did not rememberYour abundantkindnesses,But rebelledby the sea,at the RedSea.
"But [rather], you are to teardowntheir altarsand smashtheir [sacred] pillarsand cutdowntheir Asherim--
who intendto make My peopleforgetMy nameby their dreamswhichthey relateto oneanother,justas their fathersforgotMy namebecause of Baal?
"You shall not plantfor yourself an Asherahof anykind of treebesidethe altarof the LORDyour God,whichyou shall makefor yourself.
"Onlygiveheedto yourself and keepyour souldiligently,sothat you do not forgetthe thingswhichyour eyeshave seenand they do not departfrom your heartallthe daysof your life;but makethem knownto your sonsand your grandsons.
"Bewarethat you do not forgetthe LORDyour Godby not keepingHis commandmentsand His ordinancesand His statuteswhichI am commandingyou today;
then your heartwill becomeproudand you will forgetthe LORDyour Godwho broughtyou out from the landof Egypt,out of the houseof slavery.
"But you shall rememberthe LORDyour God,for it is He who is givingyou powerto makewealth,that He may confirmHis covenantwhichHe sworeto your fathers,as [it is] thisday.
Now the sonsof Israelagaindidevilin the sightof the LORD.So the LORDstrengthenedEglonthe kingof MoabagainstIsrael,becausethey had doneevilin the sightof the LORD.
Then the angerof the LORDwas kindledagainst Israel,so that He soldthem into the handsof Cushan-rishathaimkingof Mesopotamia;and the sonsof IsraelservedCushan-rishathaimeightyears.
Now on the samenightthe LORDsaidto him, "Takeyour father'sbulland a secondbullsevenyearsold, and pulldownthe altarof Baalwhichbelongs to your father,and cutdownthe Asherahthat is besideit;
Then it cameabout, as soonas Gideonwas dead,that the sonsof Israelagainplayedthe harlotwith the Baals,and madeBaal-beriththeir god.
Thus the sonsof Israeldid not rememberthe LORDtheir God,who had deliveredthem from the handsof alltheir enemieson everyside;
"They criedout to the LORDand said,'We have sinnedbecausewe have forsakenthe LORDand have servedthe Baalsand the Ashtaroth;but nowdeliverus from the handsof our enemies,and we will serveYou.'
"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.
