And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, {even} two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; {but} Jehu shall serve him much.

Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that {were} therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and {there was} no magistrate in the land, that might put {them} to shame in {any} thing; and they {were} far from the Zidonians, and had no business with {any} man. {Laish: also called, Leshem} {magistrate: Heb. possessor, or, heir of restraints}

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. {stirred...: or, incited}

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

{Seemeth it but} a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as {if that were} a very little {thing}, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. {as if...: or, that was lothed as a small thing}

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; {Is it} a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, {even} these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

For it was {so}, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) {Jezebel: Heb. Izebel}

In those days also saw I Jews {that} had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, {and} of Moab: {had...: Heb. had made to dwell with them}

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. {Is this} of thy whoredoms a small matter, {to be...: Heb. to devour}

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, {and} Hittites; {together...: or, beside}

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard {of it}; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. {painted...: Heb. put her eyes in painting}

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen {this}, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. {Is it...: or, Is there any thing lighter than to commit}

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, {that} his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as {was} the heart of David his father.

Now therefore send, {and} gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they {were} fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

{Seemeth it} a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

And she said unto her, {Is it} a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

Blessed {is} the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. {ungodly: or, wicked}

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed {woman}, and bury her: for she {is} a king's daughter.

And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; {but} Jehu shall serve him much.

And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, {even} two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to {the image of} Baal.

Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as {if that were} a very little {thing}, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. {as if...: or, that was lothed as a small thing}

Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew {it} not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians {her} neighbours,

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.

For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: {but} they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto {that} shame; and {their} abominations were according as they loved.

{As} they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she {is} the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress}

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

Of the nations {concerning} which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: {for} surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that {were} before him.

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. {image: Heb. statue}

And this is {but} a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

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 evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.

But sought to the {LORD} God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.