28. One of the Israelite priests was chosen to go back to Israel. He lived in Bethel and taught the people how to worship the Lord.
29. But in towns all over Israel, the different groups of people made statues of their own gods, then they placed these idols in local Israelite shrines.
30. The people from Babylonia made the god Succoth-Benoth; those from Cuthah made the god Nergal; those from Hamath made Ashima;
31. those from Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the people from Sepharvaim sacrificed their children to their own gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
32-33. They worshipped their own gods, just as they had before they were taken away to Israel. They also worshipped the Lord, but they chose their own people to be priests at the shrines.
34. Everyone followed their old customs. None of them worshipped only the Lord, and they refused to obey the laws and commands that the Lord had given to the descendants of Jacob, the man he named Israel.
35. At the time when the Lord had made his solemn agreement with the people of Israel, he told them:Do not worship any other gods! Do not bow down to them or offer them a sacrifice.
36. Worship only me! I am the one who rescued you from Egypt with my mighty power. Bow down to me and offer sacrifices.
37. Never worship any other god, always obey my laws and teachings,
38. and remember the solemn agreement between us.I will say it again: do not worship any god
39. except me. I am the Lord your God, and I will rescue you from all your enemies.
40. But the people living in Israel ignored that command and kept on following their old customs.
41. They did worship the Lord, but they also worshipped their own idols. Their descendants did the same thing.