But whatis the divine responseto him? "I HAVE KEPTfor MyselfSEVEN THOUSANDMENWHOHAVE NOT BOWEDTHE KNEETO BAAL."
It cameabout, as though it had been a trivialthingfor him to walkin the sinsof Jeroboamthe sonof Nebat,that he marriedJezebelthe daughterof Ethbaalkingof the Sidonians,and wentto serveBaaland worshipedhim.
He said,"I have beenveryzealousfor the LORD,the Godof hosts;for the sonsof Israelhave forsakenYour covenant,torndownYour altarsand killedYour prophetswith the sword.And I aloneam left;and they seekmy life,to takeit away."
"Yet I will leave7000in Israel,allthe kneesthat have not bowedto Baaland everymouththat has not kissedhim."
It will comeabout that he who is leftin Zionand remainsin Jerusalemwill be calledholy--everyonewho is recordedfor lifein Jerusalem.
and have builtthe highplacesof Baalto burntheir sonsin the fireas burntofferingsto Baal,a thing whichI nevercommandedor spokeof, nordid it [ever] enterMy mind;
When Ephraimspoke,[there was] trembling.He exaltedhimselfin Israel,But through Baalhe didwrongand died.
"For she does not knowthat it was I who gaveher the grain,the newwineand the oil,And lavishedon her silverand gold,[Which] they usedfor Baal.
"So I will stretchout My handagainstJudahAnd againstallthe inhabitantsof Jerusalem.And I will cutoffthe remnantof Baalfrom thisplace,[And] the namesof the idolatrouspriestsalongwith the priests.
So Israeljoinedthemselves to Baalof Peor,and the LORDwas angryagainst Israel.
"Your eyeshave seenwhatthe LORDhas donein the case of Baal-peor,for allthe menwhofollowedBaal-peor,the LORDyour Godhas destroyedthem from amongyou.
So they forsookthe LORDand servedBaaland the Ashtaroth.
