2 Kings 17:16 Cross References - ISV

¹⁶ They abandoned all of the commands given by the LORD their God, crafted for themselves cast images of two calves, constructed an Asherah, worshipped all of the stars in heaven, and served Baal.

⁴ He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, “This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

⁸ They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have bowed down to it in worship, they have offered sacrifices to it, and they have said, ‘This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

¹⁹ Do not gaze toward the heavens and observe the sun, the moon, the stars—the entire array of the sky—with the intent to worship and serve what the LORD your God gave every nation.

²⁸ So the king sought some advice and then built two golden calves and announced, “It’s too difficult for you to travel to Jerusalem. So here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

¹⁵ The LORD will attack Israel, and Israel will shake like a reed shakes in a river current! He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and he will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they erected their Asherim and provoked the LORD to become angry!

²³ They erected high places, sacred pillars, and Asherim for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree.

¹³ He removed his mother Maacah from her position as Queen Mother because she had made a detestable image dedicated to Asherah. Asa cut down his mother’s idol, crushed it, and burned it at the Kidron Brook.

³¹ In fact, as if it were nothing for him to live like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Then he went out to serve Baal and worship him.

³³ Ahab also erected an Asherah, doing more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all of the kings of Israel who had reigned before him.

⁵³ He served Baal, worshipped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, in accordance with everything his father had done.

¹⁸ Jehu Executes the Prophets of BaalThen Jehu assembled all the people and announced to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot! ¹⁹ Therefore summon all of Baal’s prophets to me, including all his worshipers and all his priests. Don’t leave even one out, because I’ve prepared a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever doesn’t show up doesn’t live!” But Jehu did this deceptively, intending to destroy Baal’s worshippers. ²⁰ Jehu ordered, “Set aside a solemn assembly for Baal!”
And so they proclaimed it. ²¹ Jehu sent the proclamation throughout Israel, and all the Baal worshipers came. There wasn’t a single man left who failed to come. When they entered Baal’s temple, it was filled from one end to the other. ²² Then Jehu ordered the one in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all of the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.
²³ Jehu and Rechab’s son Jehonadab entered Baal’s temple, and Jehu told the Baal worshipers, “Look around and be sure that no servant of the LORD is here among you, but only worshipers of Baal.” ²⁴ Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Meanwhile, Jehu had stationed 80 men outside, ordering them, “If any of these men whom I’ve brought into your control escape, the one who allows it will forfeit his life.”
²⁵ As soon as he had completed the burnt offering, Jehu ordered the guards and the officers, “Go in and execute them. Don’t let even one man escape.” So they executed them with swords, and the guards and the officers threw the bodies out and proceeded into the inner room of Baal’s temple, ²⁶ from which they brought out the sacred pillars and burned them. ²⁷ They also cut down the pillar to Baal, tore apart Baal’s temple, and turned it into a latrine—and it remains that way today. ²⁸ That’s how Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel.

¹⁸ Then all of the people of the land entered Baal’s temple, tore it down, and broke his altars and his images to pieces, killing Mattan the priest of Baal right in front of the altars. Furthermore, Jehoiada the priest appointed officers to guard the LORD’s Temple,

¹⁰ They set up pillars and Asherim on every high hill and in the shade of every green tree,

³ He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars for Baal, crafted an Asherah, just as King Ahab of Israel had done, and worshipped and served the stars of heaven.

¹⁸ Then a fire burned among their company, a flame that set the wicked ablaze. ¹⁹ They fashioned a calf at Horeb and worshipped a carved image. ²⁰ They exchanged their glory with the image of a grass-eating bull.

⁹ A Rebuke to Idol WorshipNow, all the forming of images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they know nothing. So they will be put to shame.
¹⁰ Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing?

² They’ll be spread out to the sun, the moon, and all the stars of the heavens, which they loved and served, and which they followed, consulted, and worshipped. Their bones won’t be collected, nor will they be buried. They’ll be like dung on the surface of the ground.