2 Kings 17:7-41

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. 8They also 56followed the 7customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs 8of the kings of Israel which they had 9introduced. 9And the sons of Israel 10did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from 11watchtower to fortified city. 10And 12they set up for themselves memorial stones and 1314Asherim 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, 15concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13Yet the 16Lord warned Israel and Judah 1718through all His prophets and 19every seer, saying, “20Turn 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 21through My servants the prophets.” 14However, they did not listen, but 22stiffened their neck 23like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 1524They rejected His statutes and 25His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He 26gave them. And 27they followed 28idols and 29became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the 30Lord 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: 31two calves. And they 32made an 33Asherah, and 34worshiped all the heavenly 35lights, and 36served Baal. 17Then 37they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they 38practiced divination and interpreting omens, and 39gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He 40removed them from His 41sight; 42no one was left except the tribe of Judah.

1943Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God either, but they 4445followed the 46customs 47which Israel had 48introduced. 20So the Lord rejected all the 49descendants of Israel and afflicted them and 50handed them over to plunderers, until He had cast them 51out of His sight.

21When 52He had torn Israel from the house of David, 53they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then 54Jeroboam 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 2355until the Lord removed Israel from His sight, 56just as He had spoken through all His servants the prophets. 57So Israel went into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

2458Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, 5960Avva, 61Hamath, 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 62did 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 63exile, and have 64him 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 65in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 3066The 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 67the Sepharvites were burning their children in the fire to 68Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of 69Sepharvaim. 3270They also feared the Lord and 7172appointed 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 73follow their statutes, their ordinances, the Law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, 74whom He named Israel. 35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, “75You shall not fear other gods, nor 76bow down to them, nor 77serve them, nor sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, 78who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with 79an outstretched arm, 80Him 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, 81you shall take care to do always; and you shall not fear other gods. 38The covenant that I have made with you, 82you 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. 4183So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their 84idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, just as their fathers did, they do to this day.