2 Kings 17
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, aHoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 aShalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea bbecame his vassal, and paid him tribute money. 4 And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by 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.
Israel Carried Captive to Assyria
5 Now athe king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 aIn the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and bcarried Israel away to Assyria, cand placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For aso it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had bfeared other gods, 8 and ahad walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, afrom watchtower to fortified city. 10 aThey set up for themselves sacred pillars and bwooden images con every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, aof which the Lord had said to them, b“You shall not do this thing.”
13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His aprophets, bevery seer, saying, c“Turn 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 Nevertheless they would not hear, but astiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who bdid not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they arejected His statutes band His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed cidols, dbecame idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should enot do like them. 16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, amade for themselves a molded image and two calves, bmade a wooden image and worshiped all the chost of heaven, dand served Baal. 17 aAnd they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, bpracticed witchcraft and soothsaying, and csold 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 from His sight; there was none left abut the tribe of Judah alone.
19 Also aJudah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and adelivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His bsight. 21 For aHe tore Israel from the house of David, and bthey made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them commit a great sin. 22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, aas He had said by all His servants the prophets. bSo Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24 aThen the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, bAva, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed 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 the Lord; therefore the Lord 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 rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals 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 the Lord.
29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them ain the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. 30 The men of aBabylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 aand the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites bburned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the Lord, aand from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 aThey feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.
34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, awhom He named Israel, 35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: a“You shall not fear other gods, nor bbow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36 but the Lord, who abrought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and ban outstretched arm, cHim you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, ayou shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you, ayou shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39 But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40 However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. 41 aSo these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.