2 Kings 17:7-9

GOD’S WORD Translation

⁷ The Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt ⌞and rescued them⌟ from the power of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). They worshiped other gods ⁸ and lived by the customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way. They also did what their kings wanted them to do. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that weren’t right:

They built for themselves illegal places of worship in all of their cities, from the ⌞smallest⌟ watchtower to the ⌞largest⌟ fortified city.