1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for nine years.2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So[1] king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.5The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years.6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the River Habor and in the towns of the Medes.
Israel exiled because of sin
7All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods8and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.9The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.10They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.11At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger.12They worshipped idols, though the Lord had said, ‘You shall not do this.’ (Ex 20:4; Ex 20:5)13The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.’14But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.15They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, ‘Do not do as they do.’16They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshipped Baal.17They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practised divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.18So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,19and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.20Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.21When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.22The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them23until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
Samaria resettled
24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.25When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.26It was reported to the king of Assyria: ‘The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.’27Then the king of Assyria gave this order: ‘Make one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.’28So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.29Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places.30The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima;31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.32They worshipped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.33They worshipped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.34To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.35When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: ‘Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.36But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.37You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.39Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.’40They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.41Even while these people were worshipping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
2 Kings 17
English Standard Version
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. (2Ki 15:30)2And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. (2Ki 18:9; Ho 10:14)4But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered 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.5Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.
7And this occurred because the people 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 had feared other gods (Ex 20:2; Le 25:38; 2Ki 17:36)8and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. (Le 18:3; De 18:9; 2Ki 16:3; 2Ki 17:19)9And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. (2Ki 18:8)10They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, (Ex 23:24)11and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger,12and they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” (Ex 20:4)13Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” (1Sa 9:9; 2Ki 17:23; Ne 9:30; Jer 18:11; Jer 25:5; Jer 35:15)14But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. (De 9:6; De 31:27; 2Ch 30:8; Ac 7:51)15They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. (De 12:30; De 29:25; De 32:21; 1Ki 16:13; Jer 2:5; Ro 1:21)16And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. (De 4:19; 1Ki 12:28; 1Ki 14:15; 1Ki 14:23; 1Ki 15:13; 1Ki 16:31; 1Ki 16:33; 1Ki 22:53; 2Ki 11:18; 2Ki 21:3; 2Ki 23:5)17And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings[1] and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. (Le 18:21; Le 19:26; De 18:10; 1Ki 21:20; 2Ki 16:3; Eze 23:37)18Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only. (1Ki 11:13; 1Ki 11:32; 1Ki 12:20)19Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. (Jer 3:8)20And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight. (Jud 2:14; 2Ki 13:3; 2Ki 15:29)21When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord and made them commit great sin. (1Ki 11:11; 1Ki 11:31; 1Ki 12:20; 1Ki 14:16)22The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them,23until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day. (2Ki 17:6; 2Ki 17:13)
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. (1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 17:30; 2Ki 17:31; 2Ki 18:34; 2Ki 19:13; Ezr 4:2; Ezr 4:10)25And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.26So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law 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 law of the god of the land.”27Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him[2] go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land.”28So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord. (1Ki 12:29)29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. (1Ki 12:31; 1Ki 13:32)30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, (2Ki 17:24)31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. (2Ki 17:17; 2Ki 17:24; 2Ki 19:37)32They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. (1Ki 12:31; 2Ki 17:29; Zep 1:5)33So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.34To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. (Ge 32:28; Ge 35:10; 1Ki 18:31)35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, (Ex 20:5; Jud 6:10)36but you shall fear the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. (Ex 6:6; De 4:34; De 6:13; 2Ki 17:7)37And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods, (De 5:32; 2Ki 17:35)38and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods, (De 4:23; 2Ki 17:35)39but you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” (2Ki 17:36)40However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.41So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day. (Zep 1:5)