For he rebuilt the [a]high places (A)which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a [b]wooden image, (B)as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he (C)worshiped all [c]the host of heaven and served them. (D)He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, (E)“In Jerusalem I will put My name.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the (F)two courts of the house of the Lord. (G)Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced (H)soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. He even set a carved image of [d]Asherah that he had made, in the [e]house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, (I)“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever;

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 21:3 Places for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 21:3 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
  3. 2 Kings 21:3 The gods of the Assyrians
  4. 2 Kings 21:7 A Canaanite goddess
  5. 2 Kings 21:7 Temple

He rebuilt the high places(A) his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal(B) and made an Asherah pole,(C) as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts(D) and worshiped them. He built altars(E) in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”(F) In the two courts(G) of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son(H) in the fire, practiced divination,(I) sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.(J) He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing(K) his anger.

He took the carved Asherah pole(L) he had made and put it in the temple,(M) of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name(N) forever.

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