CHAPTER 17
In the twelfth
year
of the reign
of Ahaz
over Judah,
Hoshea
son
of Elah
became king
of
Israel,
and he reigned in Samaria
nine
years.
But the king
of Assyria
discovered
that Hoshea
had conspired
to send
envoys
to
King
So
of Egypt,
and that he had not
paid
tribute
to the king
of Assyria
as in previous years.
Therefore the king
of Assyria
arrested Hoshea
and put him
in prison.
Then the king
of Assyria
invaded
the whole
land,
marched up
to Samaria,
and besieged
it
for three
years.
In the ninth
year
of the reign of Hoshea,
the king
of Assyria
captured
Samaria
and carried away
the Israelites
to Assyria,
where he settled
them
in Halah,
in Gozan
by the Habor
River,
and in the cities
of the Medes.
All this happened
because
the people
of Israel
had sinned
against the LORD
their God,
who had brought
them
out of the land
of Egypt
from under
the hand
of Pharaoh
king
of Egypt.
They had worshiped
other
gods,
and they had walked
in the customs
of the nations
whom
the LORD
had driven out
before
the Israelites,
as well as in the practices
introduced
by the kings
of Israel.
The Israelites
secretly did
things against
the LORD
their God
that were
not
right.
From watchtower
to
fortified
city,
they built
high places
in all
their cities.
They set up
for themselves
sacred pillars
and Asherah poles
on
every
high
hill
and under
every
green
tree.
They burned incense
on all
the high places
like the nations
whom
the LORD
had driven out
before them.
They did
wicked
things,
provoking
the LORD to anger.
Yet through
all
His prophets
and
seers,
the LORD
warned
Israel
and Judah,
saying,
“Turn
from your wicked
ways
and keep
My commandments
and statutes,
according to the entire
Law
that
I commanded
your forefathers
and delivered
to you
through
My servants
the prophets."
But they would not
listen,
and they stiffened
their necks
like their fathers,
who
did not
believe
the LORD
their God.
They rejected
His statutes
and the covenant
He had made
with
their fathers,
as well as the decrees
He had given them.
They pursued
worthless idols
and themselves became worthless,
going after
the surrounding
nations
the LORD
had commanded
them not
to imitate.
They abandoned
all
the commandments
of the LORD
their God
and made
for themselves
two
cast idols
of calves
and an Asherah pole.
They bowed down to
all
the host
of heaven
and served
Baal.
They sacrificed
their sons
and daughters
in the fire
and practiced
divination
and soothsaying.
They devoted themselves
to doing
evil
in the sight
of the LORD,
provoking Him to anger.
So the LORD
was very
angry
with Israel,
and He removed
them from
His presence.
Only
the tribe
of Judah
remained,
and even
Judah
did not
keep
the commandments
of the LORD
their God,
but lived
according to the customs
Israel
had introduced.
So the LORD
rejected
all
the descendants
of Israel.
He afflicted them
and delivered them
into the hands
of plunderers,
until
He had banished them
from His presence.
When
the LORD had torn
Israel
away from
the house
of David,
they made Jeroboam
son
of Nebat
king,
and Jeroboam
led Israel
away from following
the LORD
and caused them to commit
a great
sin.
The Israelites
persisted
in all
the sins
that
Jeroboam
committed
and did not
turn away
from them.
Finally,
the LORD
removed
Israel
from
His presence,
as
He had declared
through
all
His servants
the prophets.
So Israel
was exiled
from
their homeland
into Assyria,
where they are to
this
day.
Then the king
of Assyria
brought
people from Babylon,
Cuthah,
Avva,
Hamath,
and Sepharvaim
and settled them
in the towns
of Samaria
to replace
the Israelites.
They took possession of
Samaria
and lived
in its towns.
Now
when the settlers first
lived
there,
they did not
worship
the LORD,
so He
sent
lions among them,
which
killed some
of them.
So they spoke
to the king
of Assyria,
saying,
“The peoples
that
you have removed
and placed
in the cities
of Samaria
do not
know
the requirements
of the God
of the land.
Because of this,
He has sent
lions
among them,
which are indeed
killing them off."
Then the king
of Assyria
commanded:
“Send back
one
of the priests
you carried off
from Samaria,
and have him go back
to live
there
and teach
the requirements
of the God
of the land.”
Thus one
of the priests
they had carried away
came
and lived
in Bethel,
and he began to teach
them how
they should worship
the LORD.
Nevertheless,
the people of each nation
continued to make
their own gods
in the cities
where
they
had settled,
and they set them up
in the shrines
that
the people
of Samaria
had made
on the high places.
The men
of Babylon
made
Succoth-benoth,
the men
of Cuth
made
Nergal,
the men
of Hamath
made
Ashima,
the Avvites
made
Nibhaz
and Tartak,
and the Sepharvites
burned
their children
in the fire
to Adrammelech
and Anammelech
the gods
of Sepharvaim.
So
the new residents worshiped
the LORD,
but they also appointed
for themselves
priests
of all sorts
to serve
in the shrines
of the high places.
They worshiped
the LORD,
but they also served
their own gods
according to the customs
of the nations
from which
they had been carried away.
To
this
day
they
are still practicing
their former
customs.
None
of them worship
the LORD
or observe
the statutes,
ordinances,
laws,
and commandments
that
the LORD
gave
the descendants
of Jacob,
whom He named
Israel.
For the LORD
had made
a covenant
with the Israelites
and commanded them,
“Do not
worship
other
gods
or
bow down to them;
do not
serve them
or
sacrifice to them.
Instead,
worship
the LORD,
who
brought
you
out of the land
of Egypt
with great
power
and an outstretched
arm.
You are to bow down
to Him
and offer sacrifices to Him.
And
you must always
be careful
to observe
the statutes,
ordinances,
laws,
and commandments
He wrote
for you.
Do not
worship
other
gods.
So
these
nations
worshiped
the LORD
but also served
their idols,
and
to
this
day
their children
and grandchildren
continue to do
as
their fathers
did.