And he went and built the hill altars again, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars to Baal and made groves, as did Ahab king of Israel. And he bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them.
Two and forty years old was he when he began to reign, and reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. And he walked also in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor for to do evil. Wherefore he did that displeased the LORD like to the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
For wicked Athaliah and her children had broken the house of God, and had thereto bestowed all the dedicated gifts of the house of the LORD, about Baals.
but walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made thereto Baals of metal.
For he went to and built again the hill altars which Hezekiah his father had broken down. And he reared up altars unto Baals and made groves and bowed himself unto all the host of heaven and served them.
But they left the commandments of the LORD their God and made them Images of metal, even two calves: and made groves and bowed themselves unto all the Host of heaven, and served Baal.
I have seen folly among the Prophets of Samaria, that they preached for Baal, and deceived my people of Israel.
The abomination of Ephraim is come also into Israel. He is gone back to Baal, therefore must he die.
For it seemed him a light thing to walk in the sin of Jeroboam - But took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians to wife, and went and served Baal and bowed unto him. And he reared an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he had made in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove, and proceeded further in angering the LORD God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
And he said, "It is not I that trouble Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and hast followed Baal.
And thereto I have left me seven thousand in Israel, of which never man bowed his knees unto Baal nor kissed him with his mouth."
And Samuel spake unto all Israel, saying, "If ye be come again unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him alone; and so shall he rid you out of the hands of the Philistines." And then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.
And even so, all that generation were put unto their fathers. And there arose another generation after them which neither knew the LORD, nor yet the works which he did unto Israel. And then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD.
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And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth. Wherefore the LORD waxed angry with Israel, and delivered them unto the hands of raveners to spoil them and sold them into the hands of their enemies round about them, so that they had no power any longer to stand before their enemies. But unto whatsoever thing they went, the hand of the LORD was upon them with evil luck, even as the LORD promised them, and as he sware unto them. And they were sore vexed. Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors, and yet for all that they would not hearken unto their judges: But went a whoring after strange gods and bowed themselves unto them, and turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD, and did not so. And when the LORD raised up judges unto them, the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD had compassion over their sorrowings which they had by the reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. Yet for all that, as soon as the judge was dead they turned and did worse than their fathers in following strange gods, and in serving them, and ceased not from their inventions nor from their malicious ways. Wherefore the LORD was angry with Israel and said, "Because this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, therefore henceforth I will not cast out one man before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died - and that to prove Israel through them whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein as their fathers did or not." And so the LORD left those nations alone, and drove them not out immediately, neither delivered them into the hands of Joshua.
Say not now, 'I am not unclean, and I have not followed Baal.' Look upon thy own ways in the woods, valleys and dens: so shalt thou know, what thou hast done. Thou art like a swift Dromedary that goeth easily his way:
The priests themselves said not once, 'Where is the LORD?' They that have the law in their hands, know me not: The shepherds offend against me. The Prophets do service unto Baal, and follow such things as shall bring them no profit.
For when ye have stolen, murdered, committed adultery and penury; When ye have offered unto Baal, following strange and unknown gods;
And his eldest son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,
And his eldest son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner and Nadab;
After that, Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal a little: but Jehu shall serve him a good. Now, therefore, call unto me all the Prophets of Baal and all his servants and all his priests that none be lacking. For I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal: and if any be missed, he shall not live." But Jehu did it for a subtlety, to destroy the servants of Baal. Wherefore Jehu said, "Appoint a solemn feast for Baal." And they proclaimed it.
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Then Jehu sent throughout all Israel. And all the servants of Baal came, that there was not a man left behind that came not. And when they were come into the temple of Baal, the temple was full from one end to another. Then he said to the keeper of the vestry, bring forth garments for the servants of Baal. And he brought them out garments. And Jehu went with Jehonadab son of Rechab into the house of Baal: and said to the servants of Baal, "Search and look that there be none here with you of the servants of the LORD, but the servants of Baal only." And they went in, to offer sacrifice and burnt offerings. But Jehu appointed him four score men without, and said, "If any of the men that I shall bring unto your hands escape, he that letteth him go shall die for him." And as soon as he had made an end of offering of burnt sacrifice, he said to them of the guard and to the lords, "Go in and slay them, let none come out." And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the lords cast them out, and went unto the city of the house of Baal,
And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Take an ox of thy father's and another of seven years old, and destroy the altar of Baal that belongeth unto thy father, and cut down the grove that is about it, and make an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock and furnish it. And take the second ox and offer burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove, which thou shalt have cut down." Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD bade him. But because he durst not do it by day for fear of his father's household and of the men of the city, he did it by night.
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When the men of the city were up early in the morning: Behold the altar of Baal was broken, and the grove that stood about it cut down. And the second ox offered upon the altar that was made. And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And they enquired and asked. And it was told them that Gideon the son of Joash had done it. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, "Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath broken the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was about it." And Joash said unto all that stood by him, "Will ye fight for Baal, or will ye be his defenders? He that striveth for him shall die this morning. If he be a god, let him strive with him that cast down his altar!" And he called Gideon "Jerubbaal" the same time, saying "Let Baal strive with him because he hath broken down his altar."
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the inferior priests and the keepers of the door, to bring out of the temple of the LORD, all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the grove and for all the host of heaven. And he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried the ashes of them into Bethel. And he put down the Chemarims which the kings of Judah had set to burn offerings in the hill altars in the cities of Judah round about Jerusalem and also them that burnt sacrifices unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
Then said Elijah unto them, "Lay hands on the Prophets of Baal - let not one of them escape." And when they had taken them, Elijah brought them down unto the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and destroyed his altars, and brake down his images lustily, and slew Nathan, the priest of Baal, before the altar. And the priest set watchmen in the house of the LORD,
and all their villages that were round about the said cities unto Baalathbeer. This is the habitation of them and their genealogy.
And thereto all the villages that lie round about these cities, even unto Baalathbeer and Ramah, southward. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon in their kindreds.
And he wrought that was evil in the sight of the LORD: but not like his father or his mother, for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
and his son Micah, and the son of him was Reaiah, and his son was Baal,
And on the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high place of Baal, and thence he saw unto the utmost part of the people.
And the same night the LORD said unto him, "Take an ox of thy father's and another of seven years old, and destroy the altar of Baal that belongeth unto thy father, and cut down the grove that is about it,
And then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, even of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and angered the LORD. And so they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.