2 Kings 17

Hoshea Reigns over Israel

1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, 1Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned for nine years. 2He did evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel who preceded him. 32Shalmaneser the king of Assyria marched 3against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and had then brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria arrested him and confined him in prison.

5Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and went up to 4Samaria and besieged it for three years.

Israel Captive

6In the ninth year of Hoshea, 5the king of Assyria captured Samaria and 6led the people of Israel into exile to Assyria, and 7settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of 8Gozan, and 9in the cities of the Medes.

Why Israel Fell

7Now 10this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, 11who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; 12and they had 13feared other gods. 8They also 1415followed the 16customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs 17of the kings of Israel which they had 18introduced. 9And the sons of Israel 19did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from 20watchtower to fortified city. 10And 21they set up for themselves memorial stones and 2223Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did that the Lord had taken into exile before them; and they did evil things, provoking the Lord. 12They served idols, 24concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the 25Lord warned Israel and Judah 2627through all His prophets and 28every seer, saying, “29Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you 30through My servants the prophets.” 14However, they did not listen, but 31stiffened their neck 32like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 1533They rejected His statutes and 34His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He 35gave them. And 36they followed 37idols and 38became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the 39Lord had commanded them not to do as they did. 16And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast metal images: 40two calves. And they 41made an 42Asherah, and 43worshiped all the heavenly 44lights, and 45served Baal. 17Then 46they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they 47practiced divination and interpreting omens, and 48gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He 49removed them from His 50sight; 51no one was left except the tribe of Judah.

1952Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God either, but they 5354followed the 55customs 56which Israel had 57introduced. 20So the Lord rejected all the 58descendants of Israel and afflicted them and 59handed them over to plunderers, until He had cast them 60out of His sight.

21When 61He had torn Israel from the house of David, 62they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then 63Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord and misled them into a great sin. 22And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he committed; they did not desist from them 2364until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 65just as He had spoken through all His servants the prophets. 66So Israel went into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

2467Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, 6869Avva, 70Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25And at the beginning of their living there, they 71did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them that were killing some of them. 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken into exile and settled 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 are killing them because they do not know the custom of the God of the land.”

27Then the king of Assyria issued commands, saying, “Take one of the priests there whom you led into 72exile, and have 73him go and live there; and have him teach them the custom of the God of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had led into exile from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they were to fear the Lord.

29But every nation was still making gods of its own, and they put them 74in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 3075The 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 76the Sepharvites were burning their children in the fire to 77Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of 78Sepharvaim. 3279They also feared the Lord and 8081appointed from their entire population priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. 33They feared the Lord, yet they were serving their own gods in accordance with the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken into exile.

34To this day they act in accordance with the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they 82follow their statutes, their ordinances, the Law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, 83whom He named Israel. 35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, “84You shall not fear other gods, nor 85bow down to them, nor 86serve them, nor sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, 87who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with 88an outstretched arm, 89Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, 90you shall take care to do always; and you shall not fear other gods. 38The covenant that I have made with you, 91you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39But you shall fear the Lord your God; and He will save you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they did not listen, but they kept acting in accordance with their earlier custom. 4192So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their 93idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, just as their fathers did, they do to this day.