and followed the practices of the nations(A) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city(B) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(C) and Asherah poles(D) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(E) 11 At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 12 They worshiped idols,(F) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:12 Exodus 20:4,5

And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger:

12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

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and (A)had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves [a]high places in all their cities, (B)from watchtower to fortified city. 10 (C)They set up for themselves sacred pillars and (D)wooden images[b] (E)on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, (F)of which the Lord had said to them, (G)“You shall not do this thing.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:9 Places for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 17:10 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities

The Charge Against Israel

Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
    because the Lord has a charge(A) to bring
    against you who live in the land:(B)
“There is no faithfulness,(C) no love,
    no acknowledgment(D) of God in the land.(E)

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Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

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God’s Charge Against Israel

Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a (A)charge[a] against the inhabitants of the land:

“There is no truth or mercy
Or (B)knowledge of God in the land.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:1 A legal complaint

There is only cursing,[a] lying(A) and murder,(B)
    stealing(C) and adultery;(D)
they break all bounds,
    and bloodshed follows bloodshed.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:2 That is, to pronounce a curse on

By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

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By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed [a]upon bloodshed.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:2 Lit. touching