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 wrought wicked things to
provoke the LORD to anger:
12 For
they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye 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 ye 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 drave 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 unto
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 dwelt 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 Wherefore
they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed,
and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the
land: therefore he hath 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 ye
brought from thence; 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 dwelt in
Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
29 Howbeit
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 dwelt.
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 unto 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 thence.
34 Unto
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, Ye 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 ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him
shall ye do sacrifice.
37 And
the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he
wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other
gods.
38 And
the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye
fear other gods.
39 But
the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of
all your enemies.
40 Howbeit
they did not hearken, 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's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto
this day.
