2 Kings 17:23-29

231until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 2as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. 3So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

244The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from 56Avva and from 7Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. 25At the beginning of their living there, they 8did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them. 26So 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.”

27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into 9exile and let 10him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.” 28So 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.

29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them 11in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.