2 Kings 17:7-23

7Now 1this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, 2who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 3and they had 4feared other gods 8and 5walked in the 6customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs 7of the kings of Israel which they had 8introduced. 9The sons of Israel 9did things secretly which were not right against the Lord their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from 10watchtower to fortified city. 1011They set for themselves sacred pillars and 1213Asherim 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, 14concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the 15Lord warned Israel and Judah 16through all His prophets and 17every seer, saying, “18Turn 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 19stiffened their neck 20like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 1521They rejected His statutes and 22His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And 23they followed vanity and 24became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the 25Lord 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 26two calves, and 27made an 28Asherah and 29worshiped all the host of heaven and 30served Baal. 17Then 31they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and 32practiced divination and enchantments, and 33sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18So the Lord was very angry with Israel and 34removed them from His 35sight; 36none was left except the tribe of Judah.

19Also 37Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but 38walked in the 39customs 40which Israel had 41introduced. 20The Lord rejected all the 42descendants of Israel and afflicted them and 43gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them 44out of His sight.

21When 45He had torn Israel from the house of David, 46they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then 47Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them 48commit a great sin. 22The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them 2349until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 50as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. 51So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.