Demonic

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

• [DEMONIC] The serpent deceives Eve in the garden

The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden,

but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not surely die,” the serpent told the woman.

“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

• [DEMONIC] The ground is cursed because of Adam

Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,

• [DEMONIC] The Nephilim — sons of God + daughters of men; mighty men of renown

the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.

So Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

• [DEMONIC] Kedorlaomer defeats the Rephaim, Zuzim, and Emim

Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

• [DEMONIC] The Rephaim listed among the peoples of Canaan

But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that Yahweh has blessed me because of you.”

• [DEMONIC] Laban says he learned by divination that God blessed him

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

• [DEMONIC] Rachel steals her father's household idols

Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

• [DEMONIC] Laban searches for his stolen gods while Rachel hides them

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched but could not find the household idols.

So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.

• [DEMONIC] Jacob tells his family to get rid of their foreign gods

Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.

In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

• [DEMONIC] Pharaoh calls the magicians of Egypt but they cannot interpret

And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

• [DEMONIC] Pharaoh says the magicians could not explain his dream

Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”

• [DEMONIC] Joseph's steward says the silver cup is used for divination

“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”

• [DEMONIC] Joseph claims a man like him can divine the truth

You shall have no other gods before Me.

• [DEMONIC] God commands no other gods and no idols

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

• [DEMONIC] Visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me

You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold.

• [DEMONIC] God forbids making gods of silver or gold

You must not allow a sorceress to live.

• [DEMONIC] Do not allow a sorceress to live

If anyone sacrifices to any god other than Yahweh alone, he must be set apart for destruction.

• [DEMONIC] Sacrificing to any other god brings destruction

Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

• [DEMONIC] Do not even speak the names of other gods

You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

• [DEMONIC] Do not bow to their gods but smash their sacred stones

You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.

• [DEMONIC] No covenant with the nations or their gods

They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

• [DEMONIC] Aaron makes a golden calf and the people worship it

So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.”

So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.

• [DEMONIC] Moses burns the golden calf and confronts Aaron

Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.

“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’

So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

• [DEMONIC] Moses tells God the people made gods of gold

So Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.

And Yahweh sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.

• [DEMONIC] God sends a plague because of the golden calf

Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.

• [DEMONIC] Tear down their altars and make no molten gods

For you must not worship any other god, for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices.

And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.

After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one for Yahweh and the other for the scapegoat,

• [DEMONIC] Azazel — the scapegoat sent into the wilderness

But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before Yahweh to make atonement by sending it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

• [DEMONIC] Azazel — the scapegoat sent into the wilderness

The man who released the goat as the scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may reenter the camp.

• [DEMONIC] Azazel — the scapegoat sent into the wilderness

They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’

• [DEMONIC] Israel commanded not to sacrifice to 'goat-demons' (se'irim)

You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Do not give your children to be sacrificed to Molech

Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am Yahweh your God.

• [DEMONIC] Do not turn to idols or make molten gods

You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.

• [DEMONIC] Do not practice divination or sorcery

You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.

• [DEMONIC] Mediums and familiar spirits — death penalty under the Law

“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.

• [DEMONIC] Anyone who gives a child to Molech must die

And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.

And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes and fail to put to death the man who gives one of his children to Molech,

then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.

Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

• [DEMONIC] Mediums and familiar spirits — death penalty under the Law

A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”

• [DEMONIC] Mediums and familiar spirits — death penalty under the Law

“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am Yahweh your God.

• [DEMONIC] Do not make idols, carved images, or sacred pillars

I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your lifeless bodies on the lifeless remains of your idols; and My soul will despise you.

• [DEMONIC] God warns He will destroy their high places and idols

They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, dwelled. It had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.

• [DEMONIC] Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, live at Hebron

Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.

• [DEMONIC] The spies report they saw the descendants of Anak

So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land that they had spied out: “The land we explored devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw there are great in stature.

• [DEMONIC] The spies report Nephilim in Canaan — sons of Anak

We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”

‘Yahweh is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’

• [DEMONIC] Iniquity visited to third and fourth generation reaffirmed

Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He gave up his sons as refugees, and his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites.

• [DEMONIC] Woe to Moab, the people of Chemosh

Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.

• [DEMONIC] Israel defeats Og king of Bashan

But Yahweh said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

So they struck down Og, along with his sons and his whole army, until no remnant was left. And they took possession of his land.

The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.

• [DEMONIC] Moab's elders bring Balaam fees for divination

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

• [DEMONIC] No spell or divination works against Israel

And when Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he did not seek omens as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

• [DEMONIC] Balaam stops seeking omens and looks toward the desert

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,

• [DEMONIC] Israel joins in worshiping Baal of Peor

who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods.

So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against them.

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Yahweh, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”

• [DEMONIC] Midian lured Israel into sin at Peor

“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against Yahweh at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Balaam's advice led Israel into sin at Peor

who were burying all their firstborn, whom Yahweh had struck down among them; for Yahweh had executed judgment against their gods.

• [DEMONIC] God executed judgment against Egypt's gods

you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.

• [DEMONIC] Destroy their carved images, idols, and high places

Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”

• [DEMONIC] The people are taller than we are, and we saw the Anakim

(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites.

• [DEMONIC] Emim, Zamzummim, Rephaim — giant races destroyed by other nations

Like the Anakites, they were also regarded as Rephaim, though the Moabites called them Emites.

(That too was regarded as the land of the Rephaim, who used to live there, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummites.

• [DEMONIC] Emim, Zamzummim, Rephaim — giant races destroyed by other nations

They were a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. But Yahweh destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place,

(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

• [DEMONIC] Og king of Bashan had an iron bed 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide

To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)

• [DEMONIC] Bashan was called the land of the Rephaim

Your eyes have seen what Yahweh did at Baal-peor, for Yahweh your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.

• [DEMONIC] God destroyed all who followed Baal of Peor

So since you saw no form of any kind on the day Yahweh spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful

• [DEMONIC] Do not make any idol or worship the sun, moon, and stars

that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,

of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,

or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.

When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what Yahweh your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of Yahweh your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.

• [DEMONIC] Making idols will bring exile to gods of wood and stone

For Yahweh your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

You shall have no other gods before Me.

• [DEMONIC] No other gods and no idols

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

• [DEMONIC] The command against idols warns of iniquity to the third and fourth generation

Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.

• [DEMONIC] Do not follow the gods of the peoples around you

For Yahweh your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of Yahweh your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of Yahweh will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

• [DEMONIC] Tear down their altars and burn their idols

Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.

You must destroy all the peoples Yahweh your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

• [DEMONIC] Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare

You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to Yahweh your God.

• [DEMONIC] Burn the images of their gods and do not keep the gold

And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.

If you ever forget Yahweh your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.

• [DEMONIC] Going after other gods means you will surely perish

Like the nations that Yahweh has destroyed before you, so you will perish if you do not obey Yahweh your God.

Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.

• [DEMONIC] Who can stand against the sons of Anak? God goes before you

The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

But understand that today Yahweh your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as Yahweh has promised you.

And Yahweh said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten image.”

• [DEMONIC] Moses retells the sin of the golden calf

Yahweh also said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”

So I went back down the mountain while it was blazing with fire, with the two tablets of the covenant in my hands.

And I saw how you had sinned against Yahweh your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that Yahweh had commanded you.

So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, shattering them before your eyes.

Then I fell down before Yahweh for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and provoking Him to anger.

For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that Yahweh had directed against you, enough to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me this time as well.

Yahweh was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron.

And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.

or the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that Yahweh is giving you.

See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—

• [DEMONIC] God sets before Israel a blessing and a curse

a blessing if you obey the commandments of Yahweh your God that I am giving you today,

but a curse if you disobey the commandments of Yahweh your God and turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

• [DEMONIC] Destroy every place where the nations served their gods

Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

You shall not worship Yahweh your God in this way.

When Yahweh your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land,

• [DEMONIC] The nations burn their children for their gods

be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.”

You must not worship Yahweh your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which Yahweh hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,

• [DEMONIC] Do not listen to a prophet who says follow other gods

and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”

you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For Yahweh your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which Yahweh your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.

• [DEMONIC] Anyone who entices you to other gods must not be spared

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,

the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other),

you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.

Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

If, regarding one of the cities Yahweh your God is giving you to inhabit, you hear it said

• [DEMONIC] A town that turns to other gods must be destroyed

that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,

you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.

Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for Yahweh your God,

• [DEMONIC] Do not set up an Asherah pole or sacred pillar

and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which Yahweh your God hates.

If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that Yahweh your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of Yahweh your God by transgressing His covenant

• [DEMONIC] Whoever worships other gods or the stars must be stoned

and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—

and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,

you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.

When you enter the land that Yahweh your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

• [DEMONIC] Comprehensive ban: divination, observer of times, enchanter, witch, charmer, medium, wizard, necromancer

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,

casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead.

For whoever does these things is detestable to Yahweh. And because of these detestable things, Yahweh your God is driving out the nations before you.

You must be blameless before Yahweh your God.

Though these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to conjurers and diviners, Yahweh your God has not permitted you to do so.

But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

• [DEMONIC] A prophet who speaks for other gods must die

so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against Yahweh your God.

• [DEMONIC] The nations would teach Israel their detestable worship

No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of Yahweh, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation.

• [DEMONIC] Children of forbidden unions excluded to tenth generation; Ammonite/Moabite

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of Yahweh, even to the tenth generation.

No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute.

• [DEMONIC] No Israelite may be a shrine prostitute

You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of Yahweh your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to Yahweh your God.

‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

• [DEMONIC] Cursed is anyone who makes an idol in secret

Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

• [DEMONIC] Do not go after other gods to serve them

You saw the abominations and idols among them made of wood and stone, of silver and gold.

• [DEMONIC] Israel saw the idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from Yahweh our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit,

And the people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

• [DEMONIC] The land is ruined because they served other gods

They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods they had not known—gods that Yahweh had not given to them.

But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,

• [DEMONIC] If you bow to other gods you will surely perish

I declare to you today that you will surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,

• [DEMONIC] I set before you life and death, blessing and curse

They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations.

• [DEMONIC] They made God jealous with foreign gods

They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear.

• [DEMONIC] They sacrificed to demons, not to God — to gods they had not known

He will say: “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge,

• [DEMONIC] Where are their gods now? Let them rise up and help

which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!

At that time Joshua proceeded to eliminate the Anakim from the hill country of Hebron, Debir, and Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah and of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction, along with their cities.

• [DEMONIC] Joshua cut off the Anakim from the mountains; remnant only in Gaza, Gath, Ashdod

No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod did any survive.

And Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.

• [DEMONIC] Og, one of the last of the Rephaim

The Israelites also killed the diviner Balaam son of Beor along with the others they put to the sword.

• [DEMONIC] Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination

According to Yahweh’s command to him, Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah—Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.)

• [DEMONIC] Caleb drives out the three sons of Anak from Hebron

And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

• [DEMONIC] Clear the forest in the land of the Rephaim

Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] The sin of Peor still stains Israel

So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.

• [DEMONIC] Do not call on or swear by the names of their gods

If you transgress the covenant of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of Yahweh will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”

• [DEMONIC] Serving other gods will cause Israel to perish

And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

• [DEMONIC] Abraham's family once worshiped other gods

Now, therefore, fear Yahweh and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Choose this day whom you will serve

The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake Yahweh to serve other gods!

• [DEMONIC] Choose this day whom you will serve

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve Yahweh, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.

• [DEMONIC] Serving foreign gods will bring disaster

If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.”

Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

• [DEMONIC] Caleb drives out the three sons of Anak

Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to Yahweh’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.

• [DEMONIC] Israel prostitutes itself with other gods

And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

• [DEMONIC] Israel serves the Baals and the Asherahs

But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.

• [DEMONIC] Ehud turns back at the carved idols near Gilgal

Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

• [DEMONIC] Ehud escapes past the idols

When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.

• [DEMONIC] When they chose new gods, war came to their gates

And I said to you: ‘I am Yahweh your God. You must not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you did not obey Me.”

• [DEMONIC] Do not fear the gods of the Amorites

On that very night Yahweh said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

• [DEMONIC] Gideon tears down his father's Baal altar and Asherah

Then build a proper altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.”

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as Yahweh had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city, he did it by night rather than in the daytime.

When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.

“Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has torn down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself with the one who has torn down his altar.”

So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.

From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

• [DEMONIC] Gideon makes a gold ephod and Israel worships it

And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.

• [DEMONIC] Israel sets up Baal Berith as their god

The Israelites failed to remember Yahweh their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

So they gave him 1¾ pounds of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

• [DEMONIC] Abimelech is paid from the temple of Baal Berith

God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,

• [DEMONIC] God sends a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and Shechem

And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.

• [DEMONIC] Shechem feasts in the house of their god

On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.

• [DEMONIC] Shechem's leaders hide in the temple of El Berith

And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of Yahweh. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook Yahweh and did not serve Him.

• [DEMONIC] Israel serves the Baals and the gods of many nations

Then the Israelites cried out to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.”

• [DEMONIC] Israel confesses they served the Baals

But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.

• [DEMONIC] Go cry out to the gods you have chosen

Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you in your time of trouble.”

So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served Yahweh, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.

• [DEMONIC] Israel puts away the foreign gods

Do you not possess whatever your god Chemosh grants you? So also, we possess whatever Yahweh our God has granted us.

• [DEMONIC] Jephthah speaks of Ammon's god Chemosh

Jephthah made this vow to Yahweh: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,

• [DEMONIC] Jephthah vows a burnt offering of whatever greets him

then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to Yahweh, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

• [DEMONIC] Jephthah's daughter becomes the victim of his vow

As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to Yahweh and cannot take it back.”

“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to Yahweh. Do to me as you have said, for Yahweh has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.”

She also said to her father, “Let me do this one thing: Let me wander for two months through the mountains with my friends and mourn my virginity.”

“Go,” he said. And he sent her away for two months. So she left with her friends and mourned her virginity upon the mountains.

After two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she had never had relations with a man. So it has become a custom in Israel

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”

• [DEMONIC] The Philistines praise Dagon for capturing Samson

And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.”

And when he had returned the 27½ pounds of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to Yahweh for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

• [DEMONIC] Micah's mother makes an idol and he sets up a shrine

So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took five pounds of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.

• [DEMONIC] Micah hires a Levite as priest of his idol shrine

Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”

Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”

• [DEMONIC] The Danites steal Micah's idols and his priest

So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.

The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.

And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.

When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.

He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”

• [DEMONIC] Micah cries that they took the gods he made

So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

• [DEMONIC] Orpah goes back to her people and her gods

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

• [DEMONIC] Dagon falls on his face before the ark of God

carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.

That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”

the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Tell us how to send it back to its place.”

• [DEMONIC] The Philistines ask their priests and diviners about the ark

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for Yahweh, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

• [DEMONIC] Israel puts away the Baals and Ashtoreths

So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only Yahweh.

Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

• [DEMONIC] Israel has served other gods since Egypt

Then they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken Yahweh and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’

• [DEMONIC] Israel confesses serving the Baals and Ashtoreths

Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

• [DEMONIC] Do not turn aside after worthless things

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, He has rejected you as king.”

• [DEMONIC] Rebellion is like the sin of divination

Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh began to torment him.

• [DEMONIC] An evil spirit from Yahweh troubled Saul; David's harp soothed him

Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”

And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.”

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and Yahweh is with him.”

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.

When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet nine inches tall,

• [DEMONIC] Goliath of Gath, about nine feet nine inches tall, with a spear point weighing fifteen pounds

and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing 125 pounds,

and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders.

The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed fifteen pounds. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.

“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

• [DEMONIC] Goliath curses David by his gods

As the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

• [DEMONIC] David kills Goliath with a sling and a stone

Then David reached into his bag, took out a stone, and slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

The next day an evil spirit sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,

• [DEMONIC] Evil spirit returned to Saul as he attempted to kill David

But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, an evil spirit from Yahweh came upon him. While David was playing the harp,

• [DEMONIC] Evil spirit returned to Saul as he attempted to kill David

Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.

• [DEMONIC] Michal puts a household idol in David's bed

And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.

• [DEMONIC] The messengers find the household idol in the bed

Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If Yahweh has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of Yahweh! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of Yahweh, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

• [DEMONIC] David says they drove him out to serve other gods

Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.

• [DEMONIC] Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists

Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.

• [DEMONIC] Saul disguises himself and seeks a medium

So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”

But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”

• [DEMONIC] The medium reminds Saul he killed the mediums

“Whom shall I bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel,” he replied.

• [DEMONIC] The medium sees Samuel come up

But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

“Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.

“What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.

Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

• [DEMONIC] Samuel asks Saul why he disturbed him

They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.

• [DEMONIC] The Philistines put Saul's armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths

They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.

• [DEMONIC] The Philistines abandon their idols and David carries them off

Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines. But David became exhausted.

• [DEMONIC] Four giants of Gath, descendants of Rapha, killed by David's men: Ishbi-benob, Saph, Goliath's brother, and the six fingered man

Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed 7½ pounds and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.

But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”

Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, a descendant of Rapha.

Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,

and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods,

• [DEMONIC] God warns Solomon not to serve other gods

And others will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken Yahweh their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—because of this, Yahweh has brought all this disaster upon them.’”

• [DEMONIC] Disaster comes because they embraced other gods

These women were from the nations about which Yahweh had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

• [DEMONIC] Solomon's wives turn his heart to Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.

Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

So Solomon did evil in the sight of Yahweh; unlike his father David, he did not follow Yahweh completely.

At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.

He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep Yahweh’s command.

For they have forsaken Me to worship Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in My ways, nor done what is right in My eyes, nor kept My statutes and judgments, as Solomon’s father David did.

• [DEMONIC] Israel forsook God for Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom

for the message that he cried out by the word of Yahweh against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass.”

• [DEMONIC] Jeroboam keeps appointing priests for the high places

Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places.

And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.

You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.

• [DEMONIC] Jeroboam made other gods and molten images

They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

• [DEMONIC] Judah builds high places, pillars, and Asherah poles everywhere

There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

• [DEMONIC] Asa removes idols and burns his grandmother's Asherah

He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to Yahweh all his days.

• [DEMONIC] The high places were not removed

This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

• [DEMONIC] Baasha and Elah angered God with worthless idols

For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

• [DEMONIC] Omri angers God with worthless idols

And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.

• [DEMONIC] Ahab marries Jezebel and builds a temple for Baal

First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh and have followed the Baals.

• [DEMONIC] Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel

Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of Yahweh, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.

Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.”

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!”

So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the lives of those you killed!”

• [DEMONIC] Jezebel swears by her gods to kill Elijah

Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

• [DEMONIC] Seven thousand have not bowed to Baal

Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”

(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of Yahweh, incited by his wife Jezebel.

He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.)

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

• [DEMONIC] A lying spirit is sent to deceive Ahab's prophets

And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.

Then a spirit came forward, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked Yahweh.

And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said Yahweh. ‘Go and do it.’

So you see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has pronounced disaster against you.”

And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

• [DEMONIC] Under Jehoshaphat the high places still remained

He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.

• [DEMONIC] Jehoshaphat removes the remaining shrine prostitutes

Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

• [DEMONIC] Ahaziah serves and worships Baal

Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”

• [DEMONIC] Ahaziah sends to ask Baal zebub, the god of Ekron

When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”

They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what Yahweh says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”

And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

• [DEMONIC] Joram removes the sacred pillar of Baal

So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.

• [DEMONIC] The king of Moab burns his son as an offering

“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Naaman vows to worship only God but must enter Rimmon's temple

Yet may Yahweh forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may Yahweh forgive your servant in this matter.”

Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

• [DEMONIC] Naaman's leprosy fell on Gehazi and his descendants forever

When Joram saw Jehu, he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” he replied, “as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

• [DEMONIC] Jehu condemns the idolatry and witchcraft of Jezebel

Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

• [DEMONIC] Jehu traps and destroys the worshipers of Baal

Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it.

Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end.

And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them.

Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of Yahweh here among you—only servants of Baal.”

And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and warned them, “If anyone allows one of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape, he will forfeit his life for theirs.”

When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it.

They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day.

Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] The people tear down Baal's temple and kill his priest

Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

• [DEMONIC] The high places were not removed

Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.

• [DEMONIC] The Asherah pole remained standing in Samaria

Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

• [DEMONIC] The high places were not taken away

Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

• [DEMONIC] The high places were not taken away

Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] The high places were not taken away

Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

• [DEMONIC] Ahaz burns his son as an offering

And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods

• [DEMONIC] Israel worships idols, calves, Asherah, the stars, and Baal

and walked in the customs of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

The Israelites secretly did things against Yahweh their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.

They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that Yahweh had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking Yahweh to anger.

They served idols, although Yahweh had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”

Yet through all His prophets and seers, Yahweh warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”

But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe Yahweh their God.

They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that Yahweh had commanded them not to imitate.

They abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger.

• [DEMONIC] Israel practiced divination and sorcery

Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places.

• [DEMONIC] The new settlers of Samaria worship God and their idols

The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.

So the new residents worshiped Yahweh, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.

They worshiped Yahweh, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.

To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship Yahweh or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that Yahweh gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

For Yahweh had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them.

Instead, worship Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him.

And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods,

but worship Yahweh your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.”

But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs.

So these nations worshiped Yahweh but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.

He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

• [DEMONIC] Hezekiah destroys the high places and the bronze snake

Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

• [DEMONIC] Assyria boasts that no nation's gods could save them

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can Yahweh deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

• [DEMONIC] Assyria mocks the gods of the conquered nations

They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

• [DEMONIC] Their gods were only wood and stone

And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh by following the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh rebuilds high places and altars for Baal and the stars

For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

Manasseh also built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My Name.”

In both courtyards of the house of Yahweh, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, consulted mediums

Manasseh even took the carved Asherah pole he had made and set it up in the temple, of which Yahweh had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh sets up an Asherah pole in God's temple

“Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abominations, acting more wickedly than the Amorites who preceded him, and with his idols has caused Judah to sin,

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh's idols cause Judah to sin

He walked in all the ways of his father, and he served and worshiped the idols his father had served.

• [DEMONIC] Amon worships the idols his father served

He brought the Asherah pole from the house of Yahweh to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of Yahweh, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah.

Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.

Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

And he removed from the entrance to the house of Yahweh the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of Yahweh. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar of Bethel.”

“Let him rest,” said Josiah. “Do not let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, along with those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

Just as Josiah had done at Bethel, so also in the cities of Samaria he removed all the shrines of the high places set up by the kings of Israel who had provoked Yahweh to anger.

On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Josiah removes the mediums and spiritists

But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

• [DEMONIC] Eastern tribes chase the gods of the land

They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.

• [DEMONIC] Philistines hang Saul's head in Dagon's temple

They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to Yahweh, because he did not keep the word of Yahweh and even consulted a medium for guidance,

• [DEMONIC] Saul died because he consulted a medium

and he failed to inquire of Yahweh. So Yahweh put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man 7½ feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

• [DEMONIC] Benaiah kills an Egyptian 7½ feet tall

There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.

• [DEMONIC] David burns the idols the Philistines left behind

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is Yahweh who made the heavens.

• [DEMONIC] All the gods of the nations are idols

Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.

• [DEMONIC] Sippai, Lahmi the brother of Goliath, and a giant with six fingers on each hand, killed by David's men

Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,

and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

• [DEMONIC] Satan rises against Israel and incites David to count the people

But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods,

• [DEMONIC] God warns Solomon about serving other gods

then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.

And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has Yahweh done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

And others will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—because of this, He has brought all this disaster upon them.’”

And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made.

• [DEMONIC] Jeroboam sets up goat demons and calf idols

And now you think you can resist the kingdom of Yahweh, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

• [DEMONIC] Abijah calls out Jeroboam's golden calf gods

But did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles.

• [DEMONIC] Asa tears down altars and Asherah poles

He commanded the people of Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of Yahweh that was in front of the portico of Yahweh’s temple.

• [DEMONIC] Asa removes the detestable idols from the land

King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

• [DEMONIC] Asa removes his grandmother for her Asherah pole

Now Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,

• [DEMONIC] Jehoshaphat does not seek the Baals

Then a spirit came forward, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] A lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets

And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said Yahweh. ‘Go and do it.’

So you see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has pronounced disaster against you.”

The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

• [DEMONIC] The high places still stand in Judah

Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

• [DEMONIC] Jehoram leads Judah into idol worship

Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “This is what Yahweh, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah,

but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.

So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

• [DEMONIC] The people tear down the temple of Baal

For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of Yahweh for the Baals.

• [DEMONIC] Athaliah's sons give temple treasures to the Baals

They abandoned the house of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

• [DEMONIC] Judah abandons God's house to serve Asherah poles

When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.

• [DEMONIC] Amaziah bows to the gods of the people he beat

Therefore the anger of Yahweh burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”

But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.

• [DEMONIC] Amaziah falls because he sought the gods of Edom

Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made cast images of the Baals.

• [DEMONIC] Ahaz makes Baal images and burns his sons

Moreover, Ahaz burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Ahaz sacrifices to the gods of Damascus

He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him, and he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But these gods were the downfall of Ahaz and of all Israel.

Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of Yahweh, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.

In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked Yahweh, the God of his fathers.

They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

• [DEMONIC] Idol altars are thrown into the Kidron Valley

When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

• [DEMONIC] Israel smashes pillars and Asherah poles

Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand?

• [DEMONIC] Assyria boasts that no nation's gods could save them

Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand?

So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”

He also wrote letters mocking Yahweh, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.”

• [DEMONIC] Sennacherib writes letters mocking God like an idol

They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.

• [DEMONIC] Assyria calls God a work of human hands

And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh by following the abominations of the nations that Yahweh had driven out before the Israelites.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh builds Baal altars inside God's temple

For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

Manasseh also built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.”

In both courtyards of the house of Yahweh, he built altars to all the host of heaven.

He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of Yahweh, provoking Him to anger.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh practiced sorcery and consulted mediums

Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh sets a carved idol in God's house

He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of Yahweh, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city.

• [DEMONIC] Manasseh throws the idols out of the temple

His prayer and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Records of the Seers.

• [DEMONIC] The record of Manasseh's idols and his repentance

And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made,

• [DEMONIC] Amon worships all the idols his father made

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images.

• [DEMONIC] Josiah crushes the idols to dust

Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them.

He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched.’

• [DEMONIC] God's wrath comes for burning incense to other gods

And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve Yahweh their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

• [DEMONIC] Josiah removes all the abominations from Israel

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of Yahweh, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

• [DEMONIC] Priests defile the temple with the nations' abominations

Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,

• [DEMONIC] Israel casts a golden calf and calls it God

One day the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came with them.

• [DEMONIC] Satan comes before Yahweh and accuses Job

“Where have you come from?” said Yahweh to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”

Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.”

Satan answered Yahweh, “Does Job fear God for nothing?

Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

“Very well,” said Yahweh to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.

On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him.

• [DEMONIC] Satan strikes Job with painful sores

“Where have you come from?” said Yahweh to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”

Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.

But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

“Very well,” said Yahweh to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

• [DEMONIC] Job refuses to worship the sun and moon

so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.

Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.

• [DEMONIC] Sorrows multiply for those who chase other gods

I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in Yahweh I trust.

• [DEMONIC] David hates clinging to worthless idols

If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

• [DEMONIC] God would know if we spread our hands to a foreign god

They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

• [DEMONIC] Israel provokes God with high places and idols

There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

• [DEMONIC] There must be no strange god among you

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is Yahweh who made the heavens.

• [DEMONIC] The gods of the nations are idols

At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.

• [DEMONIC] Israel worships a golden calf at Horeb

They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.

They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.

• [DEMONIC] Israel joins Baal of Peor and eats offerings to the dead

They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

• [DEMONIC] Their idols became a snare to them

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.

• [DEMONIC] They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons

They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

• [DEMONIC] Children sacrificed to the idols of Canaan

They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

• [DEMONIC] Idols have mouths but cannot speak

They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;

they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell;

they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.

Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

• [DEMONIC] The idols of the nations are only silver and gold

They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;

they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths.

Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.

Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

• [DEMONIC] An undeserved curse does not come to rest

Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.

• [DEMONIC] Israel will be ashamed of its sacred oaks and gardens

For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

• [DEMONIC] Israel is full of soothsayers like the Philistines

Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

• [DEMONIC] The land is full of idols they made with their hands

So mankind is brought low, and man is humbled— do not forgive them!

and the idols will vanish completely.

• [DEMONIC] Men throw their idols to the moles and bats

Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of Yahweh and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold— the idols they made to worship.

the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder,

• [DEMONIC] God removes the soothsayer, magician, and enchanter

the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.

When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

• [DEMONIC] Should not a people seek their God? Should they consult the dead for the living?

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

• [DEMONIC] Assyria boasts of beating kingdoms full of idols

and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.

• [DEMONIC] Moab goes up to weep at its high places

When Moab appears on the high place, when he wearies himself and enters his sanctuary to pray, it will do him no good.

• [DEMONIC] Moab prays at its shrine but it does no good

They will not look to the altars they have fashioned with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they have made with their fingers.

• [DEMONIC] People will stop looking to their Asherah poles

This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, Yahweh rides on a swift cloud; He is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.

• [DEMONIC] The idols of Egypt tremble before God

Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists.

• [DEMONIC] Egypt turns to idols, the dead, and mediums

Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.

• [DEMONIC] Altars crushed like chalk and no Asherah poles left

So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

• [DEMONIC] You will throw away your gold plated idols

For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.

• [DEMONIC] Everyone will reject their idols of silver and gold

Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘Yahweh will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

• [DEMONIC] Assyria mocks God by naming the gods it defeated

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can Yahweh deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

• [DEMONIC] Sennacherib asks if any nation's gods saved them

They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

• [DEMONIC] Hezekiah says the nations' gods were wood and stone

To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?

• [DEMONIC] A craftsman builds an idol that will not topple

To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains?

One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Each one helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

• [DEMONIC] Idol makers cheer each other on at the anvil

The craftsman encourages the goldsmith, and he who wields the hammer cheers him who strikes the anvil, saying of the welding, “It is good.” He nails it down so it will not be toppled.

“Present your case,” says Yahweh. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.

• [DEMONIC] God dares the idols to tell the future

“Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming.

Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.

Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say.

• [DEMONIC] Their images are as empty as the wind

See, they are all a delusion; their works amount to nothing; their images are as empty as the wind.

I am Yahweh; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

• [DEMONIC] God will not give His praise to idols

But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

• [DEMONIC] Those who trust in idols are turned back in shame

All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.

• [DEMONIC] The idol maker bows to a block of wood

Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?

Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.

The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.

The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.

He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow.

It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

And no one considers in his heart, no one has the knowledge or insight to say, “I burned half of it in the fire, and I baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make something detestable with the rest of it? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,

• [DEMONIC] God makes fools of the diviners

They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.

• [DEMONIC] Idol makers leave together in disgrace

Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.

• [DEMONIC] People carry wooden idols that cannot save

Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.

• [DEMONIC] Bel and Nebo must be carried by tired animals

The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity.

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth.

Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.

To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?

They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship.

They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.

So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!

You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.

This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.

Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

• [DEMONIC] God told the future so no one could thank an idol

Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? Yahweh’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

• [DEMONIC] Which of the idols foretold these things

“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

• [DEMONIC] Children slaughtered in the valleys and gifts to Molech

Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of deceit,

who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?

On a high and lofty hill you have made your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifices.

Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.

You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself.

When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”

• [DEMONIC] Let your collection of idols save you

to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,

• [DEMONIC] People sacrifice in gardens and sit among graves

sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.

both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers,” says Yahweh. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.”

• [DEMONIC] They burned incense on the mountains to other gods

But you who forsake Yahweh, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,

• [DEMONIC] They set a table for the gods Fortune and Destiny

Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.

• [DEMONIC] Burning incense is like blessing an idol

“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] People who purify themselves for pagan groves will perish

I will pronounce My judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, and they have burned incense to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.

• [DEMONIC] They burned incense to other gods and worshiped their own work

This is what Yahweh says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me? They followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves.

• [DEMONIC] They followed worthless idols and became worthless

The priests did not ask, ‘Where is Yahweh?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.

• [DEMONIC] The prophets prophesied by Baal

Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.

• [DEMONIC] My people traded their Glory for useless idols

“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.

• [DEMONIC] Israel worships on every high hill and under every tree

“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young she-camel galloping here and there,

• [DEMONIC] Israel says I love foreign gods and must chase them

a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.

You should have kept your feet from going bare and your throat from being thirsty. But you said, ‘It is hopeless! For I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets

• [DEMONIC] They call a tree father and a stone mother

say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’

But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

Now in the days of King Josiah, Yahweh said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.

• [DEMONIC] Israel commits adultery with stones and trees

I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.

Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares Yahweh.

Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against Yahweh your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’” declares Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] Israel scattered favors to foreign gods under every tree

Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in Yahweh our God.

• [DEMONIC] The shameful god ate up their flocks and children

From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.

“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares Yahweh. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,

• [DEMONIC] Remove your detestable idols from My sight

“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.

• [DEMONIC] Your children swore by gods that are not gods

And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”

• [DEMONIC] You served foreign gods so you will serve foreigners

if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm,

• [DEMONIC] Stop following other gods to your own harm

Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,

• [DEMONIC] They burn incense to Baal then stand in God's house

Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

• [DEMONIC] Women bake cakes for the queen of heaven

The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger.

But am I the One they are provoking? declares Yahweh. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?

For the people of Judah have done evil in My sight, declares Yahweh. They have set up their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

• [DEMONIC] They burn their sons and daughters at Topheth

They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My heart.

So behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. For they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.

“At that time,” declares Yahweh, “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.

• [DEMONIC] Bones spread before the sun, moon, and stars they worshiped

They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.

Listen to the cry of the daughter of my people from a land far away: “Is Yahweh no longer in Zion? Is her King no longer there?” “Why have they provoked Me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?”

• [DEMONIC] They provoked God with carved images and foreign idols

Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.”

• [DEMONIC] They followed their hearts and went after the Baals

Hear the word that Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel.

• [DEMONIC] Idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber patch

This is what Yahweh says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them.

For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.

They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter.

Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

There is none like You, O Yahweh. You are great, and Your name is mighty in power.

Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.

But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!

Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz— the work of a craftsman from the hands of a goldsmith. Their clothes are blue and purple, all fashioned by skilled workers.

But Yahweh is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”

Yahweh made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.

They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance— Yahweh of Hosts is His name.

They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.

• [DEMONIC] Judah has as many gods as cities

Therefore this is what Yahweh says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.

Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.

Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’

Yahweh of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”

• [DEMONIC] Disaster decreed for burning incense to Baal

And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as Yahweh lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people.

• [DEMONIC] Nations once taught God's people to swear by Baal

Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

• [DEMONIC] God sees your idol prostitution on the hills

“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied Yahweh. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

• [DEMONIC] False prophets speak worthless divination

Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O Yahweh our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

• [DEMONIC] Can the idols of the nations bring rain

Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares Yahweh, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction.

• [DEMONIC] Your fathers left Me and followed other gods

So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

• [DEMONIC] In exile you will serve other gods day and night

And I will first repay them double their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and they have filled My inheritance with their abominations.”

• [DEMONIC] Can man make gods for himself

O Yahweh, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.

Can man make gods for himself? Such are not gods!”

“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.

• [DEMONIC] Even the children remember the Asherah poles

Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles by the green trees and on the high hills.

O My mountain in the countryside, I will give over your wealth and all your treasures as plunder, because of the sin of your high places, within all your borders.

Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.

• [DEMONIC] My people burn incense to worthless idols

because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

• [DEMONIC] They burn their children as offerings to Baal

They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My heart.

So behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

• [DEMONIC] Rooftop incense to the host of heaven

Then people will reply, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of Yahweh their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”

• [DEMONIC] Jerusalem fell because they served other gods

“Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

• [DEMONIC] Samaria's prophets prophesied by Baal

They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal.

• [DEMONIC] Their fathers forgot God's name through Baal

Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’

• [DEMONIC] Do not follow other gods to serve them

‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.’

But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who declare, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’

• [DEMONIC] Do not listen to diviners, mediums, or sorcerers

For they prophesy to you a lie that will serve to remove you from your land; I will banish you and you will perish.

For this is what Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.

• [DEMONIC] Do not be fooled by prophets and diviners

For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares Yahweh.”

“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’

• [DEMONIC] No more shall they say 'fathers ate sour grapes' — every one for his own iniquity

Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.

And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

• [DEMONIC] Houses burned where they offered incense to Baal

They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

• [DEMONIC] Children passed through the fire to Molech

They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My heart, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.

Again and again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.

• [DEMONIC] Do not go after other gods to serve them

I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar will burn those temples and take their gods as captives. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in his garment, and he will depart from there unscathed.

• [DEMONIC] Babylon will burn the temples of Egypt's gods

He will demolish the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

because of the evil they have done. They provoked Me to anger by continuing to burn incense and to serve other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew.

• [DEMONIC] They kept burning incense to other gods

Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’

But they did not listen or incline their ears; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.

Why are you provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to reside? As a result, you will be cut off and will become an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations of the earth.

• [DEMONIC] Why burn incense to other gods in Egypt

Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,

• [DEMONIC] The people vow to keep serving the queen of heaven

“As for the word you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we will not listen to you!

Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

But from the time we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

“Moreover,” said the women, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,

“As for the incense you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem—you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land—did Yahweh not remember and bring this to mind?

So Yahweh could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

Because you burned incense and sinned against Yahweh and did not obey the voice of Yahweh or walk in His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has befallen you, as you see today.”

Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of Yahweh, all those of Judah who are in the land of Egypt.

This is what Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words: ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows!

Yahweh of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I am about to punish Amon god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt with her gods and kings, and those who trust in Pharaoh.

• [DEMONIC] God will punish Amon the god of Thebes

Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.

• [DEMONIC] Chemosh will go into exile with his priests

Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.

• [DEMONIC] Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh

In Moab, declares Yahweh, I will bring an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods.

• [DEMONIC] God ends offerings on Moab's high places

Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.

• [DEMONIC] The people of Chemosh have perished

Concerning the Ammonites, this is what Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Is he without heir? Why then has Milcom taken possession of Gad? Why have his people settled in their cities?

• [DEMONIC] Milcom has taken over the land of Gad

Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.

• [DEMONIC] Milcom will go into exile with his priests

“Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’

• [DEMONIC] Bel is put to shame and Marduk is shattered

Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.

• [DEMONIC] Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols

They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.

• [DEMONIC] God makes Bel spit out what he swallowed

Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon. Her entire land will suffer shame, and all her slain will lie fallen within her.

• [DEMONIC] God will punish the idols of Babylon

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan.

• [DEMONIC] God will punish her idols and the wounded will groan

Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.

• [DEMONIC] God's sanctuary defiled with detestable idols

You are to say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh! This is what the Lord Yahweh says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.

• [DEMONIC] Slain bodies laid before their idols

Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols.

I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars.

Wherever you live, the cities will be laid waste and the high places will be demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and desecrated, your idols smashed and obliterated, your incense altars cut down, and your works blotted out.

The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and leafy oak—the places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.

• [DEMONIC] The slain lie among idols on every high hill

His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.

• [DEMONIC] They turned God's jewels into detestable idols

“Son of man,” He said to me, “now lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy.

“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing—to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”

Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall.

• [DEMONIC] Seventy elders burn incense to idols in secret

“Son of man,” He told me, “dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway.

Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing here.”

So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel.

Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.’”

Again, He told me, “You will see them committing even greater abominations.”

Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of Yahweh, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.

• [DEMONIC] Women weep for the god Tammuz at the temple gate

“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these.”

So He brought me to the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and there at the entrance to the temple of Yahweh, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.

• [DEMONIC] Men turn their backs on the temple to worship the sun

“Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see this? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and continually provoke Me to anger? Look, they are even putting the branch to their nose!

Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”

When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations.

• [DEMONIC] Returning exiles will remove all the detestable things

But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord Yahweh.”

• [DEMONIC] Judgment on hearts that chase detestable idols

For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,

• [DEMONIC] No more flattering divinations in Israel

They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares Yahweh,’ when Yahweh did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.

• [DEMONIC] Prophets who speak lying divinations

Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares Yahweh,’ even though I have not spoken?

Therefore this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord Yahweh.

My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

Now, O son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them

• [DEMONIC] God sets His face against women who prophesy falsely

and tell them that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?

• [DEMONIC] Women who sew magic charms to hunt souls

You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.

Therefore this is what the Lord Yahweh says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.

I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, so that they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] God ends the women's divination and frees His people

Because you have made the heart of the righteous sad with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,

therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”

Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I Yahweh will answer him according to his great idolatry,

so that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’

Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.

For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I Yahweh will answer him Myself.

But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.

• [DEMONIC] Jerusalem sacrifices God's children to idols

You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred!

You also took the fine jewelry of gold and silver I had given you, and you made male idols with which to prostitute yourself.

You took your embroidered garments to cover them, and you set My oil and incense before them.

And you set before them as a pleasing aroma the food I had given you—the fine flour, oil, and honey that I had fed you. That is what happened, declares the Lord Yahweh.

You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?

You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols.

you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square.

• [DEMONIC] Jerusalem builds a shrine in every public square

At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by.

But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

• [DEMONIC] Shrines at the head of every street

This is what the Lord Yahweh says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,

• [DEMONIC] Judgment for detestable idols and the blood of children

Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

• [DEMONIC] Her lovers will tear down her lofty shrines

“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?

• [DEMONIC] The sour grapes proverb ends; the soul who sins will die

As surely as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period.

• [DEMONIC] The righteous man does not look to idols

though the father has done none of them: Indeed, the son eats at the mountain and defiles his neighbor’s wife.

• [DEMONIC] The wicked son eats at shrines and looks to idols

He oppresses the poor and needy; he commits robbery and does not restore a pledge. He lifts his eyes to idols; he commits abominations.

He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.

• [DEMONIC] The good grandson does not look to idols

The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

• [DEMONIC] A son will not bear the iniquity of his father

And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’

• [DEMONIC] Israel would not give up the idols of Egypt

But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

because they kept rejecting My ordinances, refusing to walk in My statutes, and profaning My Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols.

• [DEMONIC] Their hearts kept going after their idols

In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.

• [DEMONIC] Do not defile yourselves with your fathers' idols

For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

• [DEMONIC] Their eyes were fixed on their fathers' idols

And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] They made their firstborn pass through the fire

When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.

• [DEMONIC] They burn their sons and serve wood and stone

So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ (And to this day it is called Bamah.)

Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?

When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, I will not be consulted by you!

When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.

• [DEMONIC] Go serve your idols then

It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.

while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.

• [DEMONIC] Lying divinations about the Ammonites

and tell her that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘O city who brings her own doom by shedding blood within her walls and making idols to defile herself,

• [DEMONIC] Jerusalem defiles herself by making idols

you are guilty of the blood you have shed, and you are defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all the lands.

Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.

• [DEMONIC] Some eat at the mountain shrines

Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord Yahweh says,’ when Yahweh has not spoken.

• [DEMONIC] Prophets whitewash sin with lying divinations

She offered sexual favors to all the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all the idols of those for whom she lusted.

• [DEMONIC] Oholah defiles herself with Assyria's idols

have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

• [DEMONIC] Defiled by the idols of the nations

For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.

• [DEMONIC] They kill their children for idols then enter God's house

They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths.

On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house.

They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.’”

• [DEMONIC] You will bear the guilt of your idolatry

Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?

• [DEMONIC] They lift their eyes to idols and still want the land

So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.

• [DEMONIC] God's wrath for the land defiled with idols

They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

• [DEMONIC] They will no longer defile themselves with idols

and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile My holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and by the funeral offerings for their kings at their deaths.

• [DEMONIC] Kings defiled God's name with idols near His temple

When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by the abominations they committed. Therefore I have consumed them in My anger.

Now let them remove far from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will dwell among them forever.

Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity.

• [DEMONIC] Levites who served idols lose their place

Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them.

Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord Yahweh.

And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.

• [DEMONIC] Nebuchadnezzar puts God's temple vessels in his idol's temple

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

• [DEMONIC] Daniel proves ten times wiser than Babylon's magicians and enchanters

So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,

• [DEMONIC] The king calls magicians, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dream

The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth can do what the king requests! No king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer.

• [DEMONIC] The astrologers admit only the gods could reveal the king's dream

What the king requests is so difficult that no one can tell it to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”

King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, and he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

• [DEMONIC] Nebuchadnezzar orders everyone to bow to a gold statue

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:

As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”

Therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, the people of every nation and language would fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

• [DEMONIC] Officials accuse the three Hebrews, and the king orders them to bow to the statue

Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,

and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up?

Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

• [DEMONIC] Nebuchadnezzar praises God for men who would worship no other god

When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.

• [DEMONIC] Magicians and diviners fail, so the king calls Daniel, named after Bel

But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.

The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

• [DEMONIC] Belshazzar calls enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to read the wall

So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,

• [DEMONIC] The queen recalls Daniel was made chief over Babylon's magicians

Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.

• [DEMONIC] The wise men and enchanters cannot interpret the writing

Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.

• [DEMONIC] Daniel rebukes the king for praising idols that cannot see or hear

All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.

• [DEMONIC] Officials decree that people may pray only to King Darius

However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

• [DEMONIC] Prince of Persia, Prince of Greece — territorial demonic principalities

“Do you know why I have come to you?” he said. “I must return at once to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, behold, the prince of Greece will come.

• [DEMONIC] Prince of Persia, Prince of Greece — territorial demonic principalities

But first I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. Yet no one has the courage to support me against these, except Michael your prince.

For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold— which they crafted for Baal.

• [DEMONIC] Israel used God's gifts of silver and gold to make Baal idols

I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, when she adorned herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers. But Me she forgot,” declares Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] God will punish Israel for burning incense to the Baals

In that day,” declares Yahweh, “you will call Me ‘my Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘my Master.’

• [DEMONIC] God will remove the names of the Baals from Israel's lips

For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.

Then Yahweh said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as Yahweh loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”

• [DEMONIC] Israel turns to other gods and loves raisin cakes offered to idols

My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.

• [DEMONIC] God's people consult wooden idols and sacrifice on the hilltops

They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.

I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as Yahweh lives!’

Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

• [DEMONIC] Ephraim is joined to idols, so God says leave him alone

Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

• [DEMONIC] Ephraim is crushed because he chose to follow worthless idols

They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.

• [DEMONIC] Israel slashes themselves for grain and wine but turns from God

They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction.

• [DEMONIC] Israel makes silver idols and the calf of Samaria

He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence?

For this thing is from Israel— a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

Though Ephraim multiplied the altars for sin, they became his altars for sinning.

• [DEMONIC] Ephraim builds many altars that become places for sinning

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.

• [DEMONIC] Israel's fathers gave themselves to Baal at Peor

Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars.

• [DEMONIC] Israel builds more altars and sacred pillars as it grows rich

Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. Yahweh will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

The people of Samaria will fear for the calf of Beth-aven. Indeed, its people will mourn over it with its idolatrous priests— those who rejoiced in its glory— for it has been taken from them into exile.

• [DEMONIC] Samaria mourns as its calf idol is carried off to Assyria

Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.

But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.

• [DEMONIC] Israel sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images

Is there iniquity in Gilead? They will surely come to nothing. Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Indeed, their altars will be heaps of stones in the furrows of the field.

• [DEMONIC] Israel sacrifices bulls at Gilgal on altars that will become rubble

When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.

• [DEMONIC] Ephraim makes silver idols, offers human sacrifice, and kisses calves

Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

• [DEMONIC] Israel promises never again to call handmade things our gods

O Ephraim, what have I to do anymore with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing cypress; your fruit comes from Me.

• [DEMONIC] God asks Ephraim what he has to do with idols anymore

This is what Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Judah, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they reject the Law of Yahweh and fail to keep His statutes; they are led astray by the lies in which their fathers walked.

• [DEMONIC] Judah is led astray by the lies their fathers followed

Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.

• [DEMONIC] The Amorite whose height was like cedars and strength like oaks

“Go to Bethel and transgress; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days.

• [DEMONIC] God mocks Israel's busy worship at Bethel and Gilgal

Offer leavened bread as a thank offering, and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings. For that is what you children of Israel love to do,” declares the Lord Yahweh.

Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.

• [DEMONIC] Do not seek Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba, the idol shrines

Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

• [DEMONIC] Israel carried star gods Sakkuth and Kaiwan through the wilderness

You have taken along Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, the idols you made for yourselves.

Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’— they will fall, never to rise again.”

• [DEMONIC] People swear by the guilt of Samaria and the god of Dan

The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

• [DEMONIC] In the storm each sailor cries out to his own god

Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.

• [DEMONIC] Those who cling to worthless idols give up God's loving devotion

All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.

• [DEMONIC] God will smash Samaria's carved images and burn her idols

Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.

• [DEMONIC] False prophets lose their visions and the diviners are disgraced

Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.”

Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon Yahweh, saying, “Is not Yahweh among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

• [DEMONIC] Jerusalem's prophets practice divination for money

I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

• [DEMONIC] God will cut off sorceries and fortune tellers from His people

I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

• [DEMONIC] God will destroy carved images, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles

I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.

Would Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

• [DEMONIC] Shall I give my firstborn child as an offering for my sin

You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

• [DEMONIC] Judah follows the ways of Omri and Ahab's house

because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.

• [DEMONIC] Nineveh is called the mistress of sorcery who enslaves nations

Then they sweep by like the wind and pass through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

• [DEMONIC] Babylon's army makes its own strength its god

Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.

• [DEMONIC] Babylon offers sacrifices and incense to its fishing net

What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.

• [DEMONIC] Woe to anyone who tells a wooden idol to wake up

Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares Yahweh.

• [DEMONIC] God will sweep away idols along with their wicked worshipers

those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by Yahweh but also swear by Milcom,

and those who turn back from following Yahweh, neither seeking Yahweh nor inquiring of Him.”

On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.

• [DEMONIC] God will punish those who leap over the threshold

Yahweh will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.

• [DEMONIC] God will starve all the gods of the earth

Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

• [DEMONIC] Satan stands to accuse Joshua the high priest

And Yahweh said to Satan: “Yahweh rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, Yahweh, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”

I will remove the blood from their mouths and the abominations from between their teeth. Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

• [DEMONIC] God will remove idol meat and blood from the Philistines' mouths

For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

• [DEMONIC] Household idols speak deceit and diviners see false visions

And on that day, declares Yahweh of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.

• [DEMONIC] God will erase the names of idols from the land

Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned Yahweh’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

• [DEMONIC] Judah marries the daughters of a foreign god

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says Yahweh of Hosts.

• [DEMONIC] God will be a swift witness against sorcerers

Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.

• [DEMONIC] You are cursed because you rob God

You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

• [DEMONIC] The tempter comes to Jesus in the wilderness

After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

• [DEMONIC] Away from Me, Satan!

“All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.”

“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

• [DEMONIC] People bring the demon possessed and Jesus heals them

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

• [DEMONIC] Many will say they drove out demons in His name

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity!’

When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus cast out many demons; the Gadarene demoniacs (Legion in Mark/Luke)

“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.

So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

“Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.

Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men.

Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus.

• [DEMONIC] Mute man healed when Jesus cast out a demon

And when the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that He drives out demons.”

And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus gave the twelve authority over unclean spirits to cast them out

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus gave the twelve authority over unclean spirits to cast them out

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.

• [DEMONIC] Blind and mute demoniac healed; the Beelzebub controversy

The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

• [DEMONIC] Unclean spirit returns with seven worse; doctrine of demonic re-infestation

Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order.

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

• [DEMONIC] Syrophoenician woman's daughter delivered from demon

And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

• [DEMONIC] Get behind Me, Satan

When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before Him.

• [DEMONIC] Boy with seizures freed after the disciples fail

“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.

I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”

Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,

• [DEMONIC] Jesus is tempted by Satan for forty days

and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.

The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:

“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!”

At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.

All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”

And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.

That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed,

• [DEMONIC] Jesus drives out many demons at sundown

and the whole town gathered at the door.

And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus preaches and drives out demons in Galilee

And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”

• [DEMONIC] Unclean spirits fall down before Him

But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.

And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”

• [DEMONIC] Beelzebul charge and the binding of the strong man

So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come.

Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him.

• [DEMONIC] My name is Legion, for we are many

And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”

For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”

“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”

• [DEMONIC] The unclean spirits go into the pigs

He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water.

Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.

• [DEMONIC] Sent out two by two with authority over unclean spirits

They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

• [DEMONIC] Sent out two by two with authority over unclean spirits

Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.

• [DEMONIC] The Syrophoenician woman's daughter set free

Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.

• [DEMONIC] A spirit makes the boy mute and throws him down

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

• [DEMONIC] Jesus commands the deaf and mute spirit to come out

After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”

But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

• [DEMONIC] A man drives out demons in Jesus' name

“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me.

For whoever is not against us is for us.

[Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had driven out seven demons.

• [DEMONIC] Mary Magdalene — seven demons cast out by Jesus

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

• [DEMONIC] These signs will follow those who believe — cast out demons in My name

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

• [DEMONIC] The devil tempts Jesus three times

where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.

The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.

“I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish.

So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.”

But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here.

But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.

• [DEMONIC] Demon in the synagogue recognized Jesus' identity

They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice,

“Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.

All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.

At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.

• [DEMONIC] Demons come out shouting You are the Son of God

Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.

At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus cures many of evil spirits

Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

• [DEMONIC] Women who supported Jesus — including those healed of demons

Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.

When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.

• [DEMONIC] Legion begs to enter the pigs

When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!”

For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.

“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.

And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.

There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.

Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.

• [DEMONIC] Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit and heals the boy

A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.

I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

• [DEMONIC] Seventy returned rejoicing; 'even demons are subject to us in Your name'

So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed,

• [DEMONIC] Jesus drives out a mute demon

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

• [DEMONIC] By the finger of God the kingdom has come

When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’

• [DEMONIC] The unclean spirit returns with seven others

On its return, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first.”

One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,

• [DEMONIC] Woman bent over 18 years by a spirit of infirmity

and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight.

When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.”

Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.

But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”

“You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water?

Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”

When Jesus said this, all His adversaries were humiliated. And the whole crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things He was doing.

Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve.

• [DEMONIC] Satan enters Judas

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

• [DEMONIC] The devil is a liar and the father of lies

Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.

• [DEMONIC] Now the prince of this world will be driven out

Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,

• [DEMONIC] Simon amazes Samaria with sorcery

and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”

They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.

• [DEMONIC] Simon tries to buy the power of the Spirit

“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

They traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, where they found a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus,

• [DEMONIC] Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jewish sorcerer-prophet — struck blind by Paul

But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas

and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

• [DEMONIC] The crowd calls Paul and Barnabas Zeus and Hermes

Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.

Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

Even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could hardly stop the crowds from sacrificing to them.

Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

• [DEMONIC] The council tells Gentiles to avoid food polluted by idols

You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

• [DEMONIC] The council's letter says abstain from food sacrificed to idols

One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.

• [DEMONIC] Slave girl with python spirit delivered by Paul

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.

• [DEMONIC] Paul is upset to see Athens full of idols

Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious.

• [DEMONIC] Paul finds an altar to an unknown god in Athens

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

• [DEMONIC] God is not like an image of gold, silver, or stone

Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

• [DEMONIC] Seven sons of Sceva try to use Jesus' name and the evil spirit overpowers them

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.

• [DEMONIC] Ephesians burned 50,000 silver pieces' worth of magic books

And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand silver coins.

So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.

• [DEMONIC] Idol makers riot when Paul threatens the Artemis business

It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.

And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

• [DEMONIC] The Ephesus crowd shouts Great is Artemis for two hours

Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”

• [DEMONIC] Gentile believers are reminded to abstain from food offered to idols

After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothers as a figurehead.

• [DEMONIC] Paul sails on a ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

• [DEMONIC] People trade God's glory for images of men and animals

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

• [DEMONIC] You who hate idols, do you rob temples

And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

• [DEMONIC] God kept seven thousand who never bowed to Baal

hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.

• [DEMONIC] Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh

I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

• [DEMONIC] Do not associate with a believer who is an idolater

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

• [DEMONIC] Idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

• [DEMONIC] Paul teaches about eating food sacrificed to idols

The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

But the one who loves God is known by God.

So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords),

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?

So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

• [DEMONIC] Do not be idolaters like Israel at the golden calf

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

• [DEMONIC] My beloved, flee from idolatry

Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

• [DEMONIC] Paul asks if idol food or an idol is really anything

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

• [DEMONIC] Pagan sacrifices offered to demons; cannot partake of the Lord's table and demons' table

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

• [DEMONIC] Do not eat food when someone says it was offered to idols

for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.

But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—

the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?

You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

• [DEMONIC] Before Christ you were led astray to mute idols

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

• [DEMONIC] The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

• [DEMONIC] Satan disguises himself as an angel of light

or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

• [DEMONIC] A thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan

He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

• [DEMONIC] Before knowing God you were slaves to things that are not gods

idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions,

• [DEMONIC] Sorcery (pharmakeia) listed among works of the flesh

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

• [DEMONIC] The ruler of the power of the air

in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

• [DEMONIC] A greedy person is an idolater with no inheritance

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

• [DEMONIC] Spiritual warfare — wrestling against principalities, powers, world rulers of darkness

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

• [DEMONIC] Christ disarmed the powers and triumphed over them by the cross

Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

• [DEMONIC] Put to death greed, which is idolatry

For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

• [DEMONIC] The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve the living God

For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.

• [DEMONIC] Satan hindered us

Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.

• [DEMONIC] Held captive by the devil to do his will

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.

• [DEMONIC] Jannes and Jambres, Pharaoh's magicians, opposed Moses

But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

• [DEMONIC] Evil men and impostors, goetes, go from bad to worse

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

• [DEMONIC] Demons believe — and tremble

Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

• [DEMONIC] Wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual, demonic

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

• [DEMONIC] Resist the devil and he will flee from you

in whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison

• [DEMONIC] Christ preached to the spirits in prison

For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

• [DEMONIC] You spent enough time in detestable idolatry

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

• [DEMONIC] The devil prowls like a roaring lion

Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

• [DEMONIC] God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them into chains of darkness

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

• [DEMONIC] Balaam son of Beor, the hired diviner, loved the wages of wickedness

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

• [DEMONIC] Young men, you have overcome the evil one

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

• [DEMONIC] Children of the devil; Cain belonged to the evil one

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

• [DEMONIC] Children of the devil; Cain belonged to the evil one

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

• [DEMONIC] Test the spirits; greater is He who is in you

By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

• [DEMONIC] The evil one cannot touch him

We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

• [DEMONIC] Little children, keep yourselves from idols

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

• [DEMONIC] Many deceivers deny Jesus Christ came in the flesh: the deceiver and the antichrist

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

• [DEMONIC] Do not imitate what is evil; whoever does evil has not seen God

And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.

• [DEMONIC] Angels who left their proper home are kept in chains for judgment

Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed for profit into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

• [DEMONIC] They rushed for profit into the error of Balaam, the hired diviner

I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits, yet you hold fast to My name. You did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of My faithful witness Antipas, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.

• [DEMONIC] Pergamum is where Satan's throne sits

But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

• [DEMONIC] Some in Pergamum follow Balaam's teaching to eat food sacrificed to idols

But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

• [DEMONIC] Jezebel leads believers to eat food sacrificed to idols

But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you

• [DEMONIC] The so called deep things of Satan taught at Thyatira

Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

• [DEMONIC] Survivors keep worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, and stone

Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.

• [DEMONIC] Sorcerers, idolaters, and liars — outside the holy city

And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

• [DEMONIC] The dragon hunts the woman and makes war on her children

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.

Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.

But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.

And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

• [DEMONIC] The world worships the dragon and the beast

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

• [DEMONIC] Everyone not in the Book of Life worships the beast

And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

• [DEMONIC] The second beast makes an image of the beast that speaks

And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.

Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,

• [DEMONIC] Victors over the beast and its image stand by the sea

And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

• [DEMONIC] Babylon, mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

• [DEMONIC] Sorcerers, idolaters, and liars — outside the holy city

But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

• [DEMONIC] Sorcerers, idolaters, and liars — outside the holy city

But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

• [DEMONIC] Sorcerers, idolaters, and liars — outside the holy city