In the twelfth year
of Ahaz
king
of Judah
, aHoshea
the son
of Elah
became
king
over
Israel
in Samaria
, and reigned nine
years
.
He did evil
in the sight
of the LORD
, only
not as the kings
of Israel
who
were before
him.
aShalmaneser king
of Assyria
came
up bagainst
him, and Hoshea
became
his servant
and paid
him tribute
.
But the king of Assyria
found
conspiracy
in Hoshea
, who
had sent
messengers
to So
king
of Egypt
and had offered
no
tribute
to the king
of Assyria
, as he had done year
by year
; so the king
of Assyria
shut
him up and bound
him in prison
.
Then the king of Assyria
invaded
the whole
land
and went
up to aSamaria
and besieged
it three
years
.
In the ninth year
of Hoshea
, athe king
of Assyria
captured
Samaria
and bcarried
Israel
away
into exile
to Assyria
, and csettled
them in Halah
and Habor
, on the river
of dGozan
, and ein the cities
of the Medes
.
Now athis came about because
the sons
of Israel
had sinned
against the LORD
their God
, bwho had brought
them up from the land
of Egypt
from under
the hand
of Pharaoh
, king
of Egypt
, cand they had 1feared
other
gods
and awalked in the 1customs
of the nations
whom
the LORD
had driven
out before
the sons
of Israel
, and in the customs bof the kings
of Israel
which
they had 2introduced
.
The sons of Israel
1did
things
secretly
which
were not right
against
the LORD
their God
. Moreover, they built
for themselves high
places
in all
their towns
, from awatchtower
to fortified
city
.
aThey set for themselves sacred pillars
and 1 bAsherim
on every
high
hill
and under
every
green
tree
,
and there they burned
incense
on all
the high
places
as the nations
did which
the LORD
had carried
away
to exile
before
them; and they did
evil
things
provoking
the LORD
.
They served idols
, aconcerning which
the LORD
had said
to them, "You shall not do
this
thing
."
Yet the aLORD warned
Israel
and Judah
bthrough
all
His prophets
and cevery
seer
, saying
, " dTurn
from your evil
ways
and keep
My commandments
, My statutes
according to all
the law
which
I commanded
your fathers
, and which
I sent
to you through
My servants
the prophets
."
However, they did not listen, but astiffened
their neck
1like their fathers
, who
did not believe
in the LORD
their God
.
aThey rejected His statutes
and bHis covenant
which
He made
with their fathers
and His warnings
with which
He warned
them. And cthey followed
vanity
and dbecame
vain
, and went after
the nations
which
surrounded
them, concerning which
the eLORD
had commanded
them not to do
like them.
They forsook all
the commandments
of the LORD
their God
and made
for themselves molten
images
, even atwo
calves
, and bmade
an 1Asherah
and cworshiped
all
the host
of heaven
and dserved
Baal
.
Then athey made their sons and their daughters
pass
through the fire
, and bpracticed
divination
and enchantments
, and csold
themselves to do
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
, provoking
Him.
So the LORD was very
angry
with Israel
and aremoved
them from His 1sight
; bnone
was left
except
the tribe
of Judah
.
Also aJudah
did not keep
the commandments
of the LORD
their God
, but bwalked
in the 1customs
2which
Israel
had 3introduced
.
The LORD rejected
all
the 1descendants
of Israel
and afflicted
them and agave
them into the hand
of plunderers
, until
He had cast
them 2out of His sight
.
When aHe had torn
Israel
from the house
of David
, bthey made
Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
king
. Then cJeroboam
drove
Israel
away
from following
the LORD
and made them 1commit
a great
sin
.
The sons of Israel
walked
in all
the sins
of Jeroboam
which
he did
; they did not depart
from them
auntil the LORD
removed
Israel
from His sight
, bas He spoke
through
all
His servants
the prophets
. aSo Israel
was carried
away
into exile
from their own land
to Assyria
until
this
day
.
aThe king of Assyria
brought
men from Babylon
and from Cuthah
and from 1 bAvva
and from cHamath
and Sephar-vaim
, and settled
them in the cities
of Samaria
in place
of the sons
of Israel
. So they possessed
Samaria
and lived
in its cities
.
At the beginning of their living
there
, they adid not fear
the LORD
; therefore the LORD
sent
lions
among them which killed
some of them.
So they spoke to the king
of Assyria
, saying
, "The nations
whom
you have carried
away
into exile
in the cities
of Samaria
do not know
the custom
of the god
of the land
; so he has sent
lions
among them, and behold
, they kill
them because
they do not know
the custom
of the god
of the land
."
Then the king of Assyria
commanded
, saying
, "Take
there
one
of the priests
whom
you carried
away
into 1exile
and let 2him go
and live
there
; and let him teach
them the custom
of the god
of the land
."
So one of the priests
whom
they had carried
away
into exile
from Samaria
came
and lived
at Bethel
, and taught
them how
they should fear
the LORD
.
But every nation
still made
gods
of its own and put
them ain the houses
of the high
places
which
the people
of Samaria
had made
, every
nation
in their cities
in which
they lived
.
aThe men of Babylon
made
Succoth-benoth
, the men
of Cuth
made
Nergal
, the men
of Hamath
made
Ashima
,
and the Avvites made
Nibhaz
and Tartak
; and athe Sepharvites
burned
their children
in the fire
to bAdrammelech
and Anammelech
the gods
of cSepharvaim
.
aThey also feared the LORD
and 1 bappointed
from among
themselves priests
of the high
places
, who acted
for them in the houses
of the high
places
.
They feared the LORD
and served
their own gods
according to the custom
of the nations
from among whom
they had been carried
away
into exile
.
To this day
they do
according to the earlier
customs
: they do not fear
the LORD
, nor
do they 1follow
their statutes
or their ordinances
or the law
, or the commandments
which
the LORD
commanded
the sons
of Jacob
, awhom
He named
Israel
;
with whom the LORD made
a covenant
and commanded
them, saying
, " aYou shall not fear
other
gods
, nor
bbow
down
yourselves to them nor
cserve
them nor
sacrifice
to them.
"But the LORD, awho
brought
you up from the land
of Egypt
with great
power
and with ban outstretched
arm
, cHim you shall fear
, and to Him you shall bow
yourselves down
, and to Him you shall sacrifice
.
"The statutes and the ordinances
and the law
and the commandment
which
He wrote
for you, ayou shall observe
to do
forever
; and you shall not fear
other
gods
.
"The covenant that I have made
with you, ayou shall not forget
, nor
shall you fear
other
gods
.
"But the LORD your God
you shall fear
; and He will deliver
you from the hand
of all
your enemies
."
However, they did not listen, but they did
according to their earlier
custom
.
aSo while these nations
feared
the LORD
, they also served
their 1idols
; their children
likewise
and their grandchildren
, as their fathers
did
, so they do
to this
day
.