2 Kings 17:23-41

231until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 2just as He had spoken through all His servants the prophets. 3So Israel went into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

244Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, 56Avva, 7Hamath, 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 8did 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 9exile, and have 10him 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 11in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 3012The 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 13the Sepharvites were burning their children in the fire to 14Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of 15Sepharvaim. 3216They also feared the Lord and 1718appointed 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 19follow their statutes, their ordinances, the Law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, 20whom He named Israel. 35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, “21You shall not fear other gods, nor 22bow down to them, nor 23serve them, nor sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, 24who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with 25an outstretched arm, 26Him 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, 27you shall take care to do always; and you shall not fear other gods. 38The covenant that I have made with you, 28you 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. 4129So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their 30idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, just as their fathers did, they do to this day.