2 Kings 17



1.  In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign * in Samaria over Israel nine years.

2.  And he did * that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

3.  Against him came up * Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave * him presents.

4.  And the king of Assyria found * conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent * messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought * no present 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 * into Assyria, and placed * them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7.  For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned * against the LORD their God, which had 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 heathen, whom the LORD cast out * from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made * .

9.  And the children of Israel did secretly * those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built * them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen * to the fenced city.

10.  And they set them up * images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

11.  And there they burnt incense * in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away * before them; and wrought * wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger * :

12.  For they served * idols, whereof the LORD had said * unto them, Ye shall not do * this thing.

13.  Yet the LORD testified * against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying * , Turn * ye 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 necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe * in the LORD their God.

15.  And they rejected * his statutes, and his covenant that he made * with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified * against them; and they followed * vanity, and became vain * , and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged * them, that they should not do * like them.

16.  And they left * all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made * them molten images, even two calves, and made * a grove, and worshipped * all the host of heaven, and served * Baal.

17.  And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass * through the fire, and used * divination and enchantments * , and sold * themselves to do * evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger * .

18.  Therefore the LORD 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 kept * not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked * in the statutes of Israel which they made * .

20.  And the LORD 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 rent * Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king * : and Jeroboam drave * Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin * a great sin.

22.  For the children of Israel walked * in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did * ; they departed * not from them;

23.  Until the LORD removed * Israel out of his sight, as he had said * by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away * out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

24.  And the king of Assyria brought * men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim,and placed * them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed * Samaria, and dwelt * in the cities thereof.

25.  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling * there, that they feared * not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent * lions among them, which slew * some of them.

26.  Wherefore they spake * to the king of Assyria, saying * , The nations which thou hast removed * , and placed * in the cities of Samaria, know * not the manner of the God of the land:therefore he hath sent * lions among them, and, behold, they slay * them, because they know * not the manner of the God of the land.

27.  Then the king of Assyria commanded * , saying * , Carry * thither one of the priests whom ye brought * from thence; and let them go * and dwell * there, and let him teach * them the manner of the God of the land.

28.  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away * from Samaria came * and dwelt * in Bethel, and taught * them how they should fear * the LORD.

29.  Howbeit 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 wherein they dwelt * .

30.  And the men of Babylon made * Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made * Nergal, and the men of Hamath made * Ashima,

31.  And the Avites made * Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt * their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32.  So they feared the LORD, and made * unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed * for them in the houses of the high places.

33.  They feared the LORD, and served * their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away * from thence.

34.  Unto this day they do * after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do * they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded * the children of Jacob, whom he named * Israel;

35.  With whom the LORD had made * a covenant, and charged * them, saying * , Ye shall not fear * other gods, nor bow * yourselves to them, nor serve * them, nor sacrifice * to them:

36.  But the LORD, who brought you up * out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out * arm, him shall ye fear * , and him shall ye worship * , and to him shall ye do sacrifice * .

37.  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote * for you, ye shall observe * to do * for evermore; and ye shall not fear * other gods.

38.  And the covenant that I have made * with you ye shall not forget * ; neither shall ye fear * other gods.

39.  But the LORD your God ye shall fear * ; and he shall deliver * you out of the hand of all your enemies * .

40.  Howbeit they did not hearken * , but they did * after their former manner.

41.  So these nations feared the LORD,and served * their graven images, both their children, and their children's children:as did * their fathers, so do * they unto this day.