2 Kings 17:6-41

6In the ninth year of Hoshea, 1the king of Assyria captured Samaria and 2carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and 3settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of 4Gozan, and 5in the cities of the Medes.

7Now 6this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, 7who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 8and they had 9feared other gods 8and 10walked in the 11customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs 12of the kings of Israel which they had 13introduced. 9The sons of Israel 14did things secretly which were not right against the Lord their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from 15watchtower to fortified city. 1016They set for themselves sacred pillars and 1718Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and 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. 12They served idols, 19concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the 20Lord warned Israel and Judah 21through all His prophets and 22every seer, saying, “23Turn 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.” 14However, they did not listen, but 24stiffened their neck 25like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 1526They rejected His statutes and 27His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And 28they followed vanity and 29became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the 30Lord had commanded them not to do like them. 16They forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves molten images, even 31two calves, and 32made an 33Asherah and 34worshiped all the host of heaven and 35served Baal. 17Then 36they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and 37practiced divination and enchantments, and 38sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18So the Lord was very angry with Israel and 39removed them from His 40sight; 41none was left except the tribe of Judah.

19Also 42Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but 43walked in the 44customs 45which Israel had 46introduced. 20The Lord rejected all the 47descendants of Israel and afflicted them and 48gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them 49out of His sight.

21When 50He had torn Israel from the house of David, 51they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then 52Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them 53commit a great sin. 22The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them 2354until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 55as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. 56So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

2457The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from 5859Avva and from 60Hamath 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 61did 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 62exile and let 63him 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 64in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 3065The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and 66the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to 67Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of 68Sepharvaim. 3269They also feared the Lord and 7071appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. 33They 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.

34To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they 72follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, 73whom He named Israel; 35with whom the Lord made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “74You shall not fear other gods, nor 75bow down yourselves to them nor 76serve them nor sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, 77who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with 78an outstretched arm, 79Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, 80you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38The covenant that I have made with you, 81you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. 4182So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their 83idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.