1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and worked wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said to them, You shall not do this thing.
13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.
24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelled in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
26 Why they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you have removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he has sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelled in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
29 However, every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelled.
30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So they feared the LORD, and made to themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there.
34 To this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you worship, and to him shall you do sacrifice.
37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do for ever more; and you shall not fear other gods.
38 And the covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other gods.
39 But the LORD your God you shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 However, they did not listen, but they did after their former manner.
41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children' children: as did their fathers, so do they to this day.
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.
2 And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and paid him tribute.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they feared other gods,
8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel secretly did things against Jehovah their God that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and groves on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom Jehovah had carried away before them, and did evil things to provoke Jehovah to anger;
12 for they served idols, of which Jehovah had said to them, You shall not do this thing.
13 Yet Jehovah testified against Israel and against Judah, by the hand of all of His prophets and every seer, saying, Turn away from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I have commanded your fathers, and which I have sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets.
14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who had not believed in Jehovah their God.
15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they went after their vanities, became vain, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom Jehovah had charged them that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of Jehovah their God, made for themselves molten images, two calves, made a grove and bowed down to all the host of the heavens, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination of witchcraft and fortunetelling, and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger.
18 Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them away from before His face; there was no one left but only the tribe of Judah.
19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of Jehovah their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they had made.
20 And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them away from before His face.
21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following after Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin.
22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they have not departed from them,
23 until Jehovah had removed Israel from before His face, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. Thus Israel was carried away from their own land into Assyria, as it is this day.
24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.
25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear Jehovah; therefore Jehovah sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the ordinances of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they do not know the ordinances of the God of the land.
27 So the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you have brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.
28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah.
29 However nation by nation they continued making gods of their own, and put them in the houses on the high places which those from Samaria had made, nation by nation in the cities where they were living.
30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So they feared Jehovah; and from among all of them they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who attended to the houses of the high places for them.
33 They feared Jehovah, and also served their own gods; according to the manner of the nations from where they were carried away.
34 To this day they continue doing according to the former manner; they do not fear Jehovah, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the Law and commandments which Jehovah has commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He had ordained with the name, Israel;
35 with whom Jehovah had made a covenant and charged them, saying: You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;
36 but Jehovah, who has brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, to Him you shall bow down, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.
37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandments which He has written for you, you shall take heed to do forever; you shall not fear other gods.
38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.
39 But Jehovah your God you shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 However they have not obeyed, but are doing according to their former manner.
41 Thus these nations feared Jehovah, while also serving their graven images. And their children and their childrens children have continued doing as their fathers have done, even to this day.