and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

<p class="poetry">Those who survive him are buried by the plague,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and their<n id="2" /> widows do not mourn for them.p>

<p class="poetry">When a wicked person dies, his expectation perishes,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the hope of his strength<n id="2" /> perishes.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For no one remembers you in the realm of death,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">In Sheol who gives you thanks?<n id="2" />p>

You took some of your clothing and made for yourself decorated high places; you engaged in prostitution on them. You went to him to become his.<n id="1" />

For I take no delight in the death of anyone,<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>. Repent and live!p>

<p class="poetry">Isaac&#8217;s centers of worship<n id="1" /> will become desolate;p> <p class="poetry">Israel&#8217;s holy places will be in ruins.p> <p class="poetry">I will attack Jeroboam&#8217;s dynasty with the sword.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">After this happened, Jeroboam still did not change his evil ways;<n id="1" /> he continued to appoint common people<n id="2" /> as priests at the high places. Anyone who wanted the job he consecrated as a priest.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">For fire went out from Heshbon,p> <p class="poetry">a flame from the city of Sihon.p> <p class="poetry">It has consumed Ar of Moabp> <p class="poetry">and the lords<n id="1" /> of the high places of Arnon.p>

Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal.<n id="1" /> From there he saw the extent of the nation.p>

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah at the time that company died, when the fire consumed 250 men. So they became a warning.

When a leader died, the next generation<n id="1" /> would again<n id="2" /> act more wickedly than the previous one.<n id="3" /> They would follow after other gods, worshiping them<n id="4" /> and bowing down to them. They did not give up<n id="5" /> their practices or their stubborn ways.p>

<p class="bodytext">He built temples<n id="1" /> on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites.

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

They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the <sc>Lordsc> had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the <sc>Lordsc> angry.<n id="1" />

At the same time they worshiped<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>. They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on the high places.<n id="2" />

He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> and led Judah away from the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the <sc>Lordsc> God of his ancestors.p>

<p class="poetry">The high places of the &#8220;House<n id="1" /> of Wickedness&#8221;<n id="2" /> will be destroyed;p> <p class="poetry">it is the place where Israel sins.p> <p class="poetry">Thorns and thistles will grow up over its altars.p> <p class="poetry">Then they will say to the mountains, &#8220;Cover us!&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">and to the hills, &#8220;Fall on us!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">All this is because of Jacob&#8217;s rebellionp> <p class="poetry">and<n id="1" /> the sins of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">How has Jacob rebelled, you ask?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Samaria epitomizes their rebellion!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Where are Judah&#8217;s pagan worship centers, you ask?<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">They are right in Jerusalem!<n id="6" />p>