He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam son of Joash, who caused Israel to sin — despite Jeroboam II's military and territorial success, the text condemns him for perpetuating the cultic sins established by the first Jeroboam (the golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan). The formula "did what was evil" (עַשׂה־הָרַע בְעֵינֵי יְהוָה, *asah ha-ra be-eynei YHWH*) applies even to the militarily triumphant, demonstrating that political success cannot offset cultic unfaithfulness. The sins of Jeroboam I, which caused Israel to sin (הִחֲטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל, *hichti'a et-Yisrael*), bind the entire northern kingdom in perpetual cultic deviation.

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