[1] In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah
to reign in Samaria over Israel, [and reigned] nine years. [2] He did that
which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, yet not as the kings of Israel who
were before him. [3] Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and
Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute. [4] The king of Assyria
found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt,
and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year:
therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. [5]
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to
Samaria, and besieged it three years. [6] In the ninth year of Hoshea the
king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and
placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the
cities of the Medes. [7] It was so, because the children of Israel had
sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of
Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other
gods, [8] and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out
from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they
made. [9] The children of Israel did secretly things that were not right
against Yahweh their God: and they built them high places in all their
cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city; [10] and they
set them up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green
tree; [11] and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the
nations whom Yahweh carried away before them; and they worked wicked things
to provoke Yahweh to anger; [12] and they served idols, whereof Yahweh had
said to them, You shall not do this thing. [13] Yet Yahweh testified to
Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, Turn you
from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to
all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my
servants the prophets. [14] Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but
hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn`t believe in
Yahweh their God. [15] They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he
made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them;
and they followed vanity, and became vain, and [went] after the nations
that were round about them, concerning whom Yahweh had charged those who
they should not do like them. [16] They forsook all the commandments of
Yahweh their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an
Asherah, and worshipped all the host of the sky, and served Baal. [17] They
caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used
divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil
in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. [18] Therefore Yahweh was
very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none
left but the tribe of Judah only. [19] Also Judah didn`t keep the
commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel
which they made. [20] Yahweh rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted
them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them
out of his sight. [21] For he tore Israel from the house of David; and they
made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from
following Yahweh, and made them sin a great sin. [22] The children of
Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn`t depart
from them; [23] until Yahweh removed Israel out of his sight, as he spoke
by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their
own land to Assyria to this day. [24] The king of Assyria brought men from
Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim,
and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel;
and they possessed Samaria, and lived in the cities of it. [25] So it was,
at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn`t fear Yahweh:
therefore Yahweh sent lions among them, which killed some of them. [26]
Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you
have carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, don`t know the law
of the god of the land: therefore he has sent lions among them, and,
behold, they kill them, because they don`t know the law of the god of the
land. [27] Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of
the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there,
and let him teach them the law of the god of the land. [28] So one of the
priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel,
and taught them how they should fear Yahweh. [29] However every nation made
gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the
Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. [30]
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal,
and the men of Hamath made Ashima, [31] and the Avvites made Nibhaz and
Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech
and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. [32] So they feared Yahweh, and
made to them from among themselves priests of the high places, who
sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. [33] They feared
Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from
among whom they had been carried away. [34] To this day they do after the
former manner: they don`t fear Yahweh, neither do they after their
statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the
commandment which Yahweh commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named
Israel; [35] with whom Yahweh had made a covenant, and charged them,
saying, You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor
serve them, nor sacrifice to them: [36] but Yahweh, who brought you up out
of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, him
shall you fear, and to him shall you bow yourselves, and to him shall you
sacrifice: [37] and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the
commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forevermore;
and you shall not fear other gods: [38] and the covenant that I have made
with you you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other gods: [39] but
Yahweh your God shall you fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of
all your enemies. [40] However they did not listen, but they did after
their former manner. [41] So these nations feared Yahweh, and served their
engraved images; their children likewise, and their children`s children, as
did their fathers, so do they to this day.
