He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.”

In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky.

Ahaz gathered the items in God’s temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the Lord’s temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.

He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them.

He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.