2 Kings 17:14-23

14But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.

15They rejected his statutes and his covenant he had made with their ancestors and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.

16They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal.

17They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and angered him.

18Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained.

19Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God but lived according to the customs Israel had practiced.

20So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, punished them, and handed them over to plunderers until he had banished them from his presence.

21When the Lord tore Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit grave sin.

22The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them.

23Finally, the Lord removed Israel from his presence just as he had declared through all his servants the prophets. So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland to this very day.