²⁵ After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt^(A) and make any kind of idol,^(B) doing evil^(C) in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger,

¹⁶ so that you do not become corrupt^(A) and make for yourselves an idol,^(B) an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,

²² Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?^(A) Are we stronger than he?^(B)

¹² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord^(A) his God and did not humble^(B) himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. ¹³ He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath^(C) in God’s name. He became stiff-necked^(D) and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(E) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(F)(G)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(H) again and again,^(I) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(J) at his prophets until the wrath^(K) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^(L)

¹⁴ I will forsake^(A) the remnant^(B) of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵ they have done evil^(C) in my eyes and have aroused^(D) my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶ Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood^(E) that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah^(F) to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

² He did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices^(B) of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

¹⁷ They sacrificed^(A) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(B) and sold^(C) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(D) Only the tribe of Judah was left, ¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.^(E)

⁸ Joshua son of Nun,^(A) the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres^[a](B) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.^{(C) 11} Then the Israelites did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord^(E) and served the Baals.^{(F) 12} They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods^(G) of the peoples around them.^(H) They aroused^(I) the Lord’s anger^{(J) 13} because they forsook^(K) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.^{(L) 14} In his anger^(M) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands^(N) of raiders who plundered^(O) them. He sold them^(P) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.^{(Q) 15} Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them^(R) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.^(S)