³ 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.

⁴ He removed^(A) the high places,^(B) smashed the sacred stones^(C) and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake^(D) Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.^[a])

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(A) and an Asherah^(B) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(C) and they worshiped Baal.^(D)

³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married^(A) Jezebel daughter^(B) of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal^(C) and worship him. ³² He set up an altar^(D) for Baal in the temple^(E) of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole^(F) and did more^(G) to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

³ and contrary to my command^(A) has worshiped other gods,^(B) bowing down to them or to the sun^(C) or the moon or the stars in the sky,^(D)

¹⁹ And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,^(A) the moon and the stars^(B)—all the heavenly array^(C)—do not be enticed^(D) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(E) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

³ In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God^(A) of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.