2 Kings 17:1-18

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. 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.

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.