Bible Verses About Idolatry: Warnings against, and punishments of

"If there is found among you, within any of your gates [in any city] that ADONAI your God gives you, a man or woman who does what ADONAI your God sees as wicked, transgressing his covenant

by going and serving other gods and worshipping them, the sun, the moon, or anything in the sky - something I have forbidden -

and it is told to you, or you hear about it; then you are to investigate the matter diligently. If it is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done in Isra'el;

then you are to bring the man or woman who has done this wicked thing to your city gates, and stone that man or woman to death.

So you handed them over to the power of their adversaries, who oppressed them. Yet in the time of their trouble, when they cried out to you, you heard from heaven, and in keeping with your great compassion, you gave them saviors to save them from the power of their adversaries.

But as soon as they had gotten some relief, they went back to do evil before you. So you left them in the power of their enemies, who came down hard on them. Yet when they returned and cried out to you, you heard from heaven many times and saved them, according to your compassion.

You warned them, in order to bring them back to your Torah; yet they were arrogant. They paid no attention to your mitzvot, but sinned against your rulings, which, if a person does them, he will have life through them. However, they stubbornly turned their shoulders, stiffened their necks and refused to hear.

Many years you extended them mercy and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands.

Even so, in your great compassion, you didn't completely destroy them; nor did you abandon them, for you are a compassionate and merciful God.

"'Now therefore, our God, great, mighty, fearsome God, who keeps both covenant and grace: let not all this suffering seem little to you that has come on us, our kings, our leaders, our cohanim, our prophets, our ancestors, and on all your people, from the times of the kings of Ashur until this very day.

There is no question that you are just in all that has come upon us; for you have treated us fairly. It is we who have acted wickedly.

Our kings, our leaders, our cohanim and ancestors did not keep your Torah, pay attention to your mitzvot or heed the warnings you gave them.

Even when they ruled their own kingdom, even when you prospered them greatly, in the great, rich land you gave them, they did not serve you; nor did they turn from their wicked deeds.

"'So here we are today, slaves. Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors, so that they could eat what it produces and enjoy its good 1144 here we are in it, slaves!

Its rich yield now goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins; they have power over our bodies, they can do what they please to our livestock, and we are in great distress!

They provoked him with their high places and made him jealous with their idols.

God heard, and he was angry; he came to detest Isra'el completely.

He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent he had made where he could live among people.

He gave his strength into exile, his pride to the power of the foe.

He gave his people over to the sword and grew angry with his own heritage.

Fire consumed their young men, their virgins had no wedding-song,

their cohanim fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.

They failed to destroy the peoples, as ADONAI had ordered them to do,

but mingled with the nations and learned to follow their ways.

They went on to serve their idols, which became a snare for them.