Kamionkowski - Week 3

(7) The Israelites did what was offensive to GOD; they ignored the ETERNAL their God and worshiped the Baalim and the Asheroth.

(25) That night GOD said to him: “Take the young bull belonging to your father and another bull seven years old; pull down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred post that is beside it. (26) Then build an altar to the ETERNAL your God, on the level ground on top of this stronghold. Take the other bull and offer it as a burnt offering, using the wood of the sacred post that you have cut down.” (27) So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as GOD had told him; but as he was afraid to do it by day, on account of his father’s household and the townspeople, he did it by night. (28) Early the next morning, the townspeople found that the altar of Baal had been torn down and the sacred post beside it had been cut down, and that the second bull had been offered on the newly built altar. (29) They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” Upon inquiry and investigation, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did this thing!” (30) The townspeople said to Joash, “Bring out your son, for he must die: he has torn down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred post beside it!” (31) But Joash said to all who had risen against him, “Do you have to contend for Baal? Do you have to vindicate him? Whoever fights his battles shall be dead by morning! If he is a god, let him fight his own battles, since it is his altar that has been torn down!”

(13) He also deposed his mother Maacah from the rank of queen mother, because she had made an abominable thing for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her abominable thing and burnt it in the Wadi Kidron.

(19) Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

(1) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Hephzibah. (2) He did what was displeasing to GOD, following the abhorrent practices of the nations that GOD had dispossessed before the Israelites. (3) He rebuilt the shrines that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal and made a sacred post as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the host of heaven and worshiped them, (4) and he built altars for them in the House of GOD, of which GOD had said, “I will establish My name in Jerusalem.” (5) He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the House of GOD. (6) He consigned his son to the fire; he practiced soothsaying and divination, and consulted ghosts and familiar spirits; he did much that was displeasing to GOD —and provoked anger. (7) The sculptured image of Asherah that he made he placed in the House concerning which GOD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this House and in Jerusalem, which I chose out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My name forever. (8) And I will not again cause the feet of Israel to wander from the land that I gave to their ancestors, if they will but faithfully observe all that I have commanded them—all the Teachings with which My servant Moses charged them.” (9) But they did not obey, and Manasseh led them astray to do greater evil than the nations that GOD had destroyed before the Israelites. (10) Therefore GOD spoke through the prophets—God’s servants: (11) “Because King Manasseh of Judah has done these abhorrent things—he has outdone in wickedness all that the Amorites did before his time—and because he led Judah to sin with his fetishes, (12) assuredly, thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: I am going to bring such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that both ears of everyone who hears about it will tingle. (13) I will apply to Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the weights of the House of Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down. (14) And I will cast off the remnant of My own people and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. They shall be plunder and prey to all their enemies (15) because they have done what is displeasing to Me and have been provoking My anger from the day that their ancestors came out of Egypt to this day.” (16) Moreover, Manasseh put so many innocent persons to death that he filled Jerusalem [with blood] from end to end—besides the sin he committed in causing Judah to do what was displeasing to GOD. (17) The other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all his actions, and the sins he committed, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. (18) Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in the garden of his palace, in the garden of Uzza; and his son Amon succeeded him as king. (19) Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. (20) He did what was displeasing to GOD, as his father Manasseh had done. (21) He walked in all the ways of his father, worshiping the fetishes that his father had worshiped and bowing down to them. (22) He forsook the ETERNAL, the God of his ancestors, and did not follow the way of GOD. (23) Amon’s courtiers conspired against him; and they killed the king in his palace. (24) But the people of the land put to death all who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made his son Josiah king in his stead. (25) The other events of Amon’s reign [and] his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. (26) He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza; and his son Josiah succeeded him as king.

(6) He brought out the [image of] Asherah from the House of GOD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and burned it in the Kidron Valley; he beat it to dust and scattered its dust over the burial ground of the common people. (7) He tore down the cubicles of the consecrated workersg in the House of GOD, at the place where the women wove coverings for Asherah.

(15) Thereupon they answered Jeremiah—all the men who knew that their wives made offerings to other gods; all the women present, a large gathering; and all the people who lived in Pathros in the land of Egypt: (16) “We will not listen to you in the matter about which you spoke to us in the name of GOD. (17) On the contrary, we will do everything that we have vowed to make offerings to the Queen of Heaven and to pour libations to her, as we used to do, we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials, in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty to eat, we were well-off, and suffered no misfortune. (18) But ever since we stopped making offerings to the Queen of Heaven and pouring libations to her, we have lacked everything, and we have been consumed by the sword and by famine. (19) And when we make offerings to the Queen of Heaven and pour libations to her, is it without our husbands’ approval that we have made cakes in her likeness and poured libations to her?” (20) Jeremiah replied to all the people, men and women—all the people who argued with him. He said, (21) “Indeed, the offerings you presented in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem—you, your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land—were remembered by GOD and brought to mind! (22) When GOD could no longer bear your evil practices and the abominations you committed, your land became a desolate ruin and a curse, as is still the case. (23) Because you burned incense and sinned against GOD and did not obey GOD —whose Teaching, whose laws, and whose exhortations you did not follow—therefore this disaster has befallen you, as is still the case.” (24) Jeremiah further said to all the people, including all the women: “Hear the word of GOD, all Judeans in the land of Egypt! (25) Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have confirmed by deed what you spoke in words: ‘We will fulfill the vows that we made, to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour libations to her.’ So fulfill your vows; perform your vows! (26) “Yet hear the word of GOD, all Judeans who dwell in the land of Egypt! Lo, I swear by My great name—said GOD —that none of Judah’s contingent in all the land of Egypt shall ever again invoke My name, saying, ‘As my Sovereign GOD lives!’