²⁵ That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.^[a] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole^[b](A) beside it.

Othniel

⁷ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord^(A) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.^(B)

¹³ Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.^[a](A)

¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial^[a]?^(A) Or what does a believer^(B) have in common with an unbeliever?^{(C) 16} What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?^(D) For we are the temple^(E) of the living God.^(F) As God has said:

¹⁷ Therefore,

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!^(A)

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.^(A)

⁵ This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles^[a](A) and burn their idols in the fire.^(B)

¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?^(A) You be the judges!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.^(A)