Israel burned incense to the gods that were named Baal. I will punish her for all the times she did that. She decorated herself with rings and jewelry. Then she went after her lovers. But she forgot all about me,” declares the Lord.

我必追讨她素日给诸巴力烧香的罪；那时她佩带耳环和别样妆饰，随从她所爱的，却忘记我。这是耶和华说的。”

我要惩罚她素日给诸巴力烧香的罪；那时她佩戴耳环和珠宝，跟随她所爱的，却忘记我。这是耶和华说的。

我要惩罚她素日给诸巴力烧香的罪；那时她佩戴耳环和珠宝，跟随她所爱的，却忘记我。这是耶和华说的。

我要惩罚她，因为她在节日向巴力烧香。那时她戴耳环佩首饰，追逐她的情人，把我忘记。这是耶和华说的。

她在拜众巴力的日子，向他们烧香，佩戴耳环首饰，打扮自己，跟随她那些爱人，却把我遗忘，所以我必惩罚她。”这是耶和华说的。

我必追討她素日給諸巴力燒香的罪；那時她佩帶耳環和別樣妝飾，隨從她所愛的，卻忘記我。這是耶和華說的。

我要懲罰她素日給諸巴力燒香的罪；那時她佩戴耳環和珠寶，跟隨她所愛的，卻忘記我。這是耶和華說的。

我要懲罰她素日給諸巴力燒香的罪；那時她佩戴耳環和珠寶，跟隨她所愛的，卻忘記我。這是耶和華說的。

我要懲罰她，因為她在節日向巴力燒香。那時她戴耳環佩首飾，追逐她的情人，把我忘記。這是耶和華說的。

她在拜眾巴力的日子，向他們燒香，佩戴耳環首飾，打扮自己，跟隨她那些愛人，卻把我遺忘，所以我必懲罰她。”這是耶和華說的。

我必察罰她拜巴力的節日向巴力燻祭的罪；那時她用她的耳環和珠寶裝飾自己，跟着她的愛人走，我呢、她卻忘了；永恆主發神諭說。

耶和華曰、昔彼奉事巴力、為之焚香、以耳環珍寶自飾、從其情人而忘我、我必討之、

耶和華曰、越在疇昔、斯民焚香、奉事巴力、違逆乎我、譬彼婦女、以耳環金索、修飾自好、從其所懽、故我必加以罰、

彼平日奉事諸巴力、為之焚香、以鼻環金索、修飾自好、從愛之者反忘我、故我必罰之、此乃主所言、

I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the Lord.

And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord.

I will punish her for all those times when she burned incense to her images of Baal, when she put on her earrings and jewels and went out to look for her lovers but forgot all about me,” says the Lord.

And I will punish her for the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense. She put on her rings and her jewelry and followed her lovers, but she forgot me. This is the LORD’s declaration.

I will punish her for the days of the Baals When she used to offer sacrifices to them And adorn herself with her nose ring and jewelry, And follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,” declares the Lord.

I will punish her For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.

And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, unto which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith Jehovah.

And I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, put on her rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but forgot Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.

And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

“ I will punish her for the festival days when she burned incense to the Baal idols; she adorned herself with earrings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but she forgot me!” says the LORD.

I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me,” says Yahweh.

But the more I called out to Israel, the more they went away from me. They brought sacrifices to the statues of the gods that were named Baal. And they burned incense to them.

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God. They served gods that were named Baal. They also served female gods that were named Asherah.

When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the other tribes trembled with fear. Ephraim was honored in Israel. But its people sinned by worshiping Baal. So they were as good as dead.

I fed them until they were satisfied. Then they became proud. They forgot all about me.

“‘ “You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery. You tell lies in court. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you didn’t know before.

You have sunk very deep into sin, just as your people did at Gibeah long ago. God will remember the evil things they have done. He will punish them for their sins.The Lord says,“ When I first found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your people of long ago, it was like seeing the early fruit on a fig tree. But then they went to Baal Peor. There they gave themselves to that shameful god named Baal. They became as evil as the god they loved.

The time when God will punish you is coming. The day when he will judge you is near. I want Israel to know this. You have committed many sins. And you hate me very much. That’s why you think the prophet is foolish. You think the person the Lord speaks through is crazy.

My people are destroyed because they do not know me.“ You priests have refused to obey me. So I will refuse to accept you as my priests. You have not paid any attention to my law. So I will not let your children be my priests.

Once again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served gods that were named Baal. They served female gods that were named Ashtoreth. They worshiped the gods of Aram and Sidon. They served the gods of Moab and Ammon. They also worshiped the gods of the Philistines. The Israelites deserted the Lord. They didn’t serve him anymore.

“ I haven’t made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.“ But you and your father’s family have. You have turned away from the Lord’ s commands. You have followed gods that are named Baal.Now send for people from all over Israel. Tell them to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of the god named Baal. Also bring the 400 prophets of the female god named Asherah. All of them eat at Jezebel’s table.”So Ahab sent that message all through Israel. He gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.Elijah went there and stood in front of the people. He said,“ How long will it take you to make up your minds? If the Lord is the one and only God, worship him. But if Baal is the one and only God, worship him.” The people didn’t say anything.Then Elijah said to them,“ I’m the only one of the Lord’ s prophets left. But Baal has 450 prophets.Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves. Let them cut it into pieces. Then let them put it on the wood. But don’t let them set fire to it. I’ll prepare the other bull. I’ll put it on the wood. But I won’t set fire to it.Then you pray to your god. And I’ll pray to the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God.” Then all the people said,“ What you are saying is good.”Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,“ Choose one of the bulls. There are many of you. So prepare your bull first. Pray to your god. But don’t light the fire.”So they prepared the bull they had been given. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon.“ Baal! Answer us!” they shouted. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made.At noon Elijah began to tease them.“ Shout louder!” he said.“ I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.”So they shouted louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. That’s what they usually did when things really looked hopeless.It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention.Then Elijah said to all the people,“ Come here to me.” So they went to him. He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. It had been torn down.Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The Lord’ s message had come to Jacob. It had said,“ Your name will be Israel.”Elijah used the stones to build an altar to honor the Lord. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 24 pounds of seeds.He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people,“ Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood.” So they did.“ Do it again,” he said. So they did it again.“ Do it a third time,” he ordered. And they did it the third time.The water ran down around the altar. It even filled the ditch.When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed,“ Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that you are God in Israel. Let them know I’m your servant. Let them know I’ve done all these things because you commanded me to.Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that you are the one and only God. They’ll know that you are turning their hearts back to you again.”The fire of the Lord came down. It burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood and the stones and the soil. It even dried up the water in the ditch.All the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out,“ The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!”Then Elijah commanded them,“ Grab the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one of them get away!” So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.

But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense to worthless gods. Their gods made them trip and fall as they walked on the old paths. They made them use side roads instead of roads that were built up.

Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. And in Jerusalem you have set up as many altars as there are streets. You are burning incense to that shameful god named Baal.’

They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops. They burn offerings on the hills. They worship under oak, poplar and terebinth trees. The trees provide plenty of shade. So your daughters become prostitutes. And your daughters- in- law commit adultery.

They forgot the God who saved them. They forgot the God who had done great things in Egypt.

Their mother hasn’t been faithful to me. She who became pregnant with them has brought shame on herself. She said,‘ I will chase after my lovers. They give me my food and water. They provide me with wool and linen. They give me olive oil and wine.’

But be careful that you don’t forget the Lord. Remember that he brought you out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves.

Israel, you have forgotten God, who saves you. You have not remembered the Rock, who keeps you safe. You might set out the finest plants. You might plant vines from other lands.

Ahaziah had fallen through the window of his upstairs room in Samaria. He had hurt himself. So he sent messengers to ask the god named Baal- Zebub for advice. Baal- Zebub was the god of the city of Ekron. Ahaziah said to the messengers,“ Go and ask Baal- Zebub whether I will get well again.”

“ They even sent messengers to bring men from far away. When the men arrived, Oholibah took a bath. She put makeup on her eyes. She put her jewelry on.She sat down on a beautiful couch. A table was in front of it. There she put the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.“ The noise of a carefree crowd was all around her. Men who drink too much were brought from the desert. Other men were brought along with them. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters. They put beautiful crowns on their heads.

Make sure you don’t forget the Lord your God. Don’t fail to obey his commands, laws and rules. I’m giving them to you today.But suppose you don’t obey his commands. And suppose you have plenty to eat. You build fine houses and live in them.The number of your herds and flocks increases. You also get more and more silver and gold. And everything you have multiplies.Then your hearts will become proud. And you will forget the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves.

You accept money from people who want special favors. You do this to spill someone’s blood. You charge interest to poor people when you lend them money. You make money from them. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me,” announces the Lord and King.

The same thing happens to everyone who forgets God. The hope of ungodly people dies out.

I had given you fine jewelry. It was made out of gold and silver. You used it to make for yourself statues of male gods. You worshiped those gods. You were not faithful to me.

He thought it was only a small thing to commit the sins Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had committed. Ahab also married Jezebel. She was Ethbaal’s daughter. Ethbaal was king of the people of Sidon. Ahab began to serve the god named Baal and worship him.He set up an altar to honor Baal. He set it up in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

“ But the people forgot the Lord their God. So he put them under the control of Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Hazor. The Lord also put the Israelites under the control of the Philistines and the king of Moab. All those nations fought against Israel.

They forgot what he had done. They didn’t remember the wonders he had shown them.

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served gods that were named Baal.They deserted the Lord, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the Israelites served other gods and worshiped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the Lord angrybecause they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served female gods that were named Ashtoreth.

But then they deserted the Rock. He was their Father. They forgot the God who created them.

So the Lord, the God of Israel, speaks to the shepherds who take care of my people. He tells them,“ You have scattered my sheep. You have driven them away. You have not taken good care of them. So I will punish you for the evil things you have done,” announces the Lord.

She will still chase after her lovers. But she won’t catch them. She’ll look for them. But she won’t find them. Then she’ll say,‘ I’ll go back to my husband. That’s where I was at first. I was better off then than I am now.’

Israel has forgotten the God who made them. They have built palaces for themselves. Judah has built forts in many towns. But I will send down fire on their cities. It will burn up their forts.”

So the Lord and King says,“ You have forgotten me. You have turned your back on me. You have been impure. You have acted like a prostitute. So I will punish you.”

So Jehu destroyed the worship of the god named Baal in Israel.

“ You say,‘ I am“ clean.” I haven’t followed the gods that are named Baal.’ How can you say that? Remember how you acted in the valley. Consider what you have done. You are like a female camel running quickly here and there.You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert. She smells the wind when she longs for a mate. Who can hold her back? The males that run after her do not need to wear themselves out. At mating time they will easily find her.Do not run after other gods until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry. But you said,‘ It’s no use! I love those gods. I must go after them.’

Manasseh rebuilt the high places. His father Hezekiah had destroyed them. Manasseh also set up altars to the god named Baal. He made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. Ahab, the king of Israel, had done those same things. Manasseh even bowed down to all the stars. And he worshiped them.

But they soon forgot what he had done. They didn’t wait for what he had planned to happen.

Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry? Does a bride forget her wedding jewels? But my people have forgotten me more days than anyone can count.

Now go. Lead the people to the place I spoke about. My angel will go ahead of you. But when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”