2Ki 17:8-20 | NASB2020 | STEP | They also followed the customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel , and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had introduced .

2 Kings 17:8-20

8 They also ^{▼▼Lit walked in
,} ^bfollowed the ^{▼▼Lit statutes}customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs ^dof the kings of Israel which they had ^{▼▼Lit made}introduced. 9 And the sons of Israel ^{▼▼Or ascribed words to}did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from ^gwatchtower to fortified city. 10 And ^hthey set up for themselves memorial stones and ^{▼▼I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
,} ^jAsherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did that the Lord had taken into exile before them; and they did evil things, provoking the Lord. 12 They served idols, ^kconcerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the ^lLord warned Israel and Judah ^{▼▼Lit by the hand of
,} ⁿthrough all His prophets and ^oevery seer, saying, “ ^pTurn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you ^{▼▼Lit by the hand of}through My servants the prophets.” 14 However, they did not listen, but ^rstiffened their neck ^{▼▼Lit like the neck of}like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 ^tThey rejected His statutes and ^uHis covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He ^{▼▼Lit warned}gave them. And ^wthey followed ^{▼▼Lit the non-existent}idols and ^ybecame empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the ^zLord had commanded them not to do as they did. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast metal images: ^aatwo calves. And they ^abmade an ^{▼▼I.e., a wooden symbol of a female deity}Asherah, and ^adworshiped all the heavenly ^{▼▼Lit host}lights, and ^afserved Baal. 17 Then ^agthey made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they ^ahpracticed divination and interpreting omens, and ^aigave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He ^ajremoved them from His ^{▼▼Lit face}sight; ^alno one was left except the tribe of Judah.

19 ^amJudah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God either, but they ^{▼▼Lit walked in
,} ^aofollowed the ^{▼▼Lit statutes}customs ^{▼▼Lit of Israel which they}which Israel had ^{▼▼Lit made}introduced. 20 So the Lord rejected all the ^{▼▼Lit seed}descendants of Israel and afflicted them and ^athanded them over to plunderers, until He had cast them ^{▼▼Lit from His face}out of His sight.