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16 With strange gods they incited him,
    with abominations provoked him to anger.(A)
17 They sacrificed to demons, to “no-gods,”
    to gods they had never known,
Newcomers from afar,
    before whom your ancestors had never trembled.

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16 They made him jealous(A) with their foreign gods
    and angered(B) him with their detestable idols.
17 They sacrificed(C) to false gods,(D) which are not God—
    gods they had not known,(E)
    gods that recently appeared,(F)
    gods your ancestors did not fear.

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15 Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land; else, when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to them, one of them may invite you and you may partake of the sacrifice. 16 And when you take their daughters as wives for your sons, and their daughters prostitute themselves with their gods, they will make your sons do the same.

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15 “Be careful not to make a treaty(A) with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute(B) themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.(C) 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives(D) for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods,(E) they will lead your sons to do the same.

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11 (A)the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the Baals,[a] 12 and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the one who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord.

13 Because they had abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes,[b] 14 the anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he delivered them into the power of plunderers who despoiled them. He sold them into the power of the enemies around them, and they were no longer able to withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord turned against them, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them;(B) and they were in great distress. 16 But the Lord raised up judges to save them from the power of their plunderers; 17 but they did not listen to their judges either, for they prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down to them. They were quick to stray from the way their ancestors had taken, who obeyed the commandments of the Lord; but these did not. 18 When the Lord raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived. The Lord would change his mind when they groaned in their affliction under their oppressors. 19 But when the judge died, they would again do worse than their ancestors, following other gods, serving and bowing down to them, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn ways.(C)

20 (D)The anger of the Lord flared up against Israel, and he said: Because this nation has transgressed my covenant, which I enjoined on their ancestors, and has not listened to me, 21 I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 (E)They will be made to test Israel, to see whether or not they will keep to the way of the Lord and continue in it as their ancestors did. 23 Therefore the Lord allowed these nations to remain instead of expelling them immediately. He had not delivered them into the power of Joshua.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:11 The Baals: the title “Baal,” meaning “lord” or “master,” belonged to a large number of Canaanite, Phoenician, and Syrian deities, including especially the great storm god Hadad Baal, widely revered as lord of the earth. The plural form, which occurs here, was used by the biblical writers to refer to foreign gods in general.
  2. 2:13 The Astartes: Ashtoreth, or Astarte, was an important Canaanite and Phoenician goddess. The plural form used here probably refers to foreign goddesses in general.

11 Then the Israelites did evil(A) in the eyes of the Lord(B) and served the Baals.(C) 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods(D) of the peoples around them.(E) They aroused(F) the Lord’s anger(G) 13 because they forsook(H) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.(I) 14 In his anger(J) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands(K) of raiders who plundered(L) them. He sold them(M) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.(N) 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them(O) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.(P)

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[a](Q) who saved(R) them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted(S) themselves to other gods(T) and worshiped them.(U) They quickly turned(V) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.(W) 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved(X) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented(Y) because of their groaning(Z) under those who oppressed and afflicted(AA) them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt(AB) than those of their ancestors,(AC) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.(AD) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn(AE) ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry(AF) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant(AG) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out(AH) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test(AI) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.(AJ)

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19

27 (A)Gideon made an ephod out of the gold and placed it in his city, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted themselves there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

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27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(A) which he placed in Ophrah,(B) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(C) to Gideon and his family.(D)

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33 (A)But after Gideon was dead, the Israelites again prostituted themselves by following the Baals, making Baal-berith[a] their god.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:33 Baal-berith: a divine epithet meaning “lord of the covenant.” The same deity is called El-berith, “god of the covenant,” in 9:46.

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(A) They set up Baal-Berith(B) as their god(C)

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Chapter 11

The End of Solomon’s Reign.[a] (A)King Solomon loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites— (B)from nations of which the Lord had said to the Israelites: You shall not join with them and they shall not join with you, lest they turn your hearts to their gods. But Solomon held them[b] close in love. He had as wives seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and they turned his heart.

When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of David his father had been. Solomon followed Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he did not follow the Lord unreservedly as David his father had done. Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and to Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain opposite Jerusalem. He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

(C)The Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and commanded him not to do this very thing, not to follow other gods. But he did not observe what the Lord commanded.

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Footnotes

  1. 11:1–13 The next major unit of the Solomon story corresponds to 3:1–15. Like the earlier passage it includes the narrator’s remarks about Solomon’s foreign wives and his building projects, and a divine word commenting on Solomon’s conduct. However, where 3:1–15 is generally positive toward Solomon, the present passage is unrelievedly negative. Chronicles has no parallel to this material.
  2. 11:2 Them: both the nations and their gods.

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry(C) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,(D) and his wives led him astray.(E) As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,(F) and his heart was not fully devoted(G) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

On a hill east(K) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh(L) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek(M) the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared(N) to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,(O) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.(P)

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This came about because the Israelites sinned against the Lord, their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They venerated other gods, (A)they followed the rites of the nations whom the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites and those that the kings of Israel had practiced. They adopted unlawful practices toward the Lord, their God. They built high places in all their cities, from guard post to garrisoned town. 10 They set up pillars and asherahs[a] for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 They burned incense there, on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had sent into exile at their coming. They did evil things that provoked the Lord, 12 and served idols, although the Lord had told them: You must not do this.

13 (B)The Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer: Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your ancestors and which I sent you by my servants the prophets. 14 But they did not listen. They grew as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who had not believed in the Lord, their God.(C) 15 They rejected his statutes, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They followed emptiness and became empty; they followed the surrounding nations whom the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.(D) 16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord, their God: they made for themselves two molten calves; they made an asherah; they bowed down to all the host of heaven; they served Baal.(E) 17 (F)They immolated their sons and daughters by fire. They practiced augury and divination. They surrendered themselves to doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and provoked him.

18 (G)The Lord became enraged, and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left. 19 Even the people of Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord, their God, but followed the rites practiced by Israel. 20 So the Lord rejected the entire people of Israel: he afflicted them and delivered them over to plunderers, finally casting them from his presence.(H) 21 When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, king; but Jeroboam lured the Israelites away from the Lord, causing them to commit a great sin.(I) 22 The Israelites imitated Jeroboam in all the sins he committed; they would not depart from them.

23 Finally, the Lord removed Israel from his presence, just as he had declared through all his servants, the prophets. Thus Israel went into exile from their native soil to Assyria until this very day.

Foreigners Deported to Israel. 24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 When they first settled there, they did not venerate the Lord, so he sent lions among them that killed some of them. 26 A report reached the king of Assyria: “The nations you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the proper worship of the god of the land, so he has sent lions among them that are killing them, since they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27 The king of Assyria gave the order, “Send back some of the priests you deported, to go there and settle, to teach them the proper worship of the god of the land.” 28 So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned and settled in Bethel, and began to teach them how to venerate the Lord.

29 Thus each of these nations continued to make its own gods, setting them up in the shrines of the high places the Samarians had made: each nation in the cities in which they dwelt. 30 The Babylonians made Sukkot-Benot;[b] the people of Cuth made Nergal; those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 those from Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak; and those from Sepharvaim immolated their children by fire to their city gods, King Hadad and King Anu. 32 At the same time, they were venerating the Lord, appointing from their own number priests for the high places to officiate for them in the shrines on the high places. 33 They were both venerating the Lord and serving their own gods. They followed the custom of the nations from among whom they had been deported.

34 To this very day they continue to act according to their former customs, not venerating the Lord nor observing the statutes and regulations, the law and commandment, that the Lord enjoined on the descendants of Jacob, whom he had named Israel.(J) 35 When the Lord made a covenant with them, he commanded them: You must not venerate other gods, nor bow down to them, nor serve them, nor offer sacrifice to them,(K) 36 but only to the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and outstretched arm. Him shall you venerate, to him shall you bow down, and to him shall you offer sacrifice. 37 You must be careful always to observe the statutes and ordinances, the law and commandment, which he wrote for you; you must not venerate other gods. 38 The covenant I made with you, you must not forget; you must not venerate other gods. 39 You must venerate only the Lord, your God; it is he who will deliver you from the power of all your enemies. 40 But they did not listen; they continued to act according to their former customs.

41 But these nations were both venerating the Lord and serving their own idols. Their children and children’s children are still acting like their ancestors, to this very day.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:10 Asherahs: see note on Ex 34:13.
  2. 17:30 Sukkot-Benot: several of the divine names in vv. 30–31 are problematic or conjectural. Sukkot-Benot is unknown, but the name may have been corrupted from that of Sarpanitu, the consort of the Babylonian god Marduk.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned(A) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt(B) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations(C) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city(D) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(E) and Asherah poles(F) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(G) 11 At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 12 They worshiped idols,(H) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”[a] 13 The Lord warned(I) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:(J) “Turn from your evil ways.(K) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”(L)

14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked(M) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant(N) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols(O) and themselves became worthless.(P) They imitated the nations(Q) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,(R) and an Asherah(S) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,(T) and they worshiped Baal.(U) 17 They sacrificed(V) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens(W) and sold(X) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.(Y) Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.(Z) 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,(AA) until he thrust them from his presence.(AB)

21 When he tore(AC) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.(AD) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.(AE) 22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23 until the Lord removed them from his presence,(AF) as he had warned(AG) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland(AH) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

24 The king of Assyria(AI) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim(AJ) and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions(AK) among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

29 Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns(AL) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines(AM) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.(AN) 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek(AO) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.(AP) 32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts(AQ) of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.(AR) 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship(AS) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.(AT) 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,(AU) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful(AV) to keep the decrees(AW) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget(AX) the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord,(AY) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:12 Exodus 20:4,5

A conspiracy has been found, the Lord said to me, among the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 10 They have returned to the crimes of their ancestors who refused to obey my words. They also have followed and served other gods; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.(A)

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Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy(A) among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors,(B) who refused to listen to my words.(C) They have followed other gods(D) to serve them.(E) Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant(F) I made with their ancestors.

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12 My people consult their piece of wood,[a]
    and their wand makes pronouncements for them,
For the spirit of prostitution has led them astray;
    they prostitute themselves, forsaking their God.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:12 Piece of wood: a derogatory term for an idol. Wand: a sacred wooden object, perhaps some kind of staff, used for divination.

12 My people consult a wooden idol,(A)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(B)
A spirit of prostitution(C) leads them astray;(D)
    they are unfaithful(E) to their God.

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Chapter 9

From Days of Celebration to Days of Punishment

Do not rejoice, Israel,
    do not exult like the nations!
For you have prostituted yourself, abandoning your God,
    loving a prostitute’s fee
    upon every threshing floor.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Threshing floor: an allusion to harvest festivals in honor of Baal, to whom the Israelites had attributed the fertility of the land; cf. 2:7.

Punishment for Israel

Do not rejoice, Israel;
    do not be jubilant(A) like the other nations.
For you have been unfaithful(B) to your God;
    you love the wages of a prostitute(C)
    at every threshing floor.

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