So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, ‘Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’
2 Kings 17:16 - Christian Standard Bible Anglicised They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And they forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the [starry] hosts of the heavens and served Baal. American Standard Version (1901) And they forsook all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. Common English Bible They deserted all the commandments of the LORD their God. They made themselves two metal idols cast in the shape of calves and made a sacred pole. They bowed down to all the heavenly bodies. They served Baal. Catholic Public Domain Version And they abandoned all the precepts of the Lord, their God. And they made for themselves two molten calves and sacred groves. And they adored the entire celestial army. And they served Baal. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And they forsook all the precepts of the Lord their God. And made to themselves two molten calves, and groves, and adored all the host of heaven. And they served Baal. |
So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, ‘Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’
For the Lord will strike Israel so that they will shake as a reed shakes in water. He will uproot Israel from this good soil that he gave to their ancestors. He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates because they made their Asherah poles, angering the Lord.
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
He also removed his grandmother Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not enough, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and bow in worship to him.
Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Ahab did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
He served Baal and bowed in worship to him. He angered the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done.
Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, ‘Go and enquire of Baal-zebub, , the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.’
So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images to pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest appointed guards for the Lord’s temple.
but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even sacrificed his son in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.
They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
He remained faithful to the Lord and did not turn from following him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses.
He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and re-established the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served them.
He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, ‘Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt! ’
They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, “Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” ’
Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the work of their hands, what their fingers have made.
The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will become impure like that place Topheth #– #all the houses on whose rooftops they have burned incense to all the stars in the sky and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’
Instead, we will do everything we promised: we will burn incense to the queen of heaven and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we saw no disaster,
They will be exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky, which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshipped. Their bones will not be collected and buried but will become like manure on the soil’s surface.
She didn’t give up her promiscuity that began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her.
‘Do not make worthless idols for yourselves, set up a carved image or sacred pillar for yourselves, or place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.
‘Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for the Lord your God,
When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars #– #all the stars in the sky #– #do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.