2 Kings 17

CLV(i) 1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah reigned has Hoshea son of Elah in Samaria, over Israel--nine years, 2 and he does the evil thing in the eyes of Yahweh, only, not as the kings of Israel who were before him;" 3 against him came up Shalmaneser king of Asshur, and Hoshea is to him a servant, and does render to him a present. 4 And the king of Asshur finds in Hoshea a conspiracy, in that he has sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and has not caused a present to go up to the king of Asshur, as year by year, and the king of Asshur restrains him, and binds him in a house of restraint. 5 And the king of Asshur goes up into all the land, and he goes up to Samaria, and lays siege against it three years;" 6 in the ninth year of Hoshea has the king of Asshur captured Samaria, and removes Israel to Asshur, and causes them to dwell in Halah, and in Habor, [by] the river Gozan, and [in] the cities of the Medes. 7 And it comes to pass, because the sons of Israel have sinned against Yahweh their Elohim--who brings them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt--and fear other elohims, 8 and walk in the statutes of the nations that Yahweh dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel that they made;" 9 and the sons of Israel do covertly things that [are] not right against Yahweh their Elohim, and build for them high places in all their cities, from a tower of the watchers unto the fenced city, 10 and set up for them standing-pillars and shrines on every high height, and under every green tree, 11 and make perfume there in all high places, like the nations that Yahweh removed from their presence, and do evil things to provoke Yahweh, 12 and serve the idols, of which Yahweh said to them, `You do not do this thing;. 13 And Yahweh testifies against Israel, and against Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and every seer, saying, `Turn back from your evil ways, and keep My commands, My statutes, according to all the law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent unto you by the hand of My servants the prophets;. 14 and they have not hearkened, and harden their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who did not remain stedfast in Yahweh their Elohim, 15 and reject His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He testified against them, and go after the vain thing, and become vain, and after the nations that are round about them, of whom Yahweh commanded them not to do like them;" 16 And they forsake all the commands of Yahweh their Elohim, and make to them a molten image--two calves, and make a shrine, and bow themselves to all the host of the heavens, and serve Baal, 17 and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do the evil thing in the eyes of Yahweh, to provoke Him;" 18 That Yahweh shows himself very angry against Israel, and turns them aside from His presence; none has been left, only the tribe of Judah by itself. 19 Also Judah has not kept the commands of Yahweh their Elohim, and they walk in the statutes of Israel that they had made. 20 And Yahweh kicks against all the seed of Israel, and afflicts them, and gives them into the hand of spoilers, till that He has cast them out of His presence, 21 for He has rent Israel from the house of David, and they make Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drives Israel from after Yahweh, and has caused them to sin a great sin, 22 and the sons of Israel walk in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did, they have not turned aside therefrom, 23 till that Yahweh has turned Israel aside from His presence, as He spoke by the hand of all His servants the prophets, and Israel is removed from off its land to Asshur, unto this day. 24 And the king of Asshur brings in from Babylon and from Cutha, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and causes [them] to dwell in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel, and they possess Samaria, and dwell in its cities;" 25 and it comes to pass, at the commencement of their dwelling there, they have not feared Yahweh, and Yahweh does send among them the lions, and they are destroying among them. 26 And they speak to the king of Asshur, saying, `The nations that you have removed, and do place in the cities of Samaria, have not known the custom of the Elohim of the land, and He sends among them the lions, and lo, they are destroying them, as they do not know the custom of the Elohim of the land.. 27 And the king of Asshur commands, saying, `Cause to go thither one of the priests whom you removed thence, and they go and dwell there, and he does teach them the custom of the Elohim of the land.. 28 And one of the priests whom they removed from Samaria comes in, and dwells in Beth-El, and he is teaching them how they do fear Yahweh, 29 and they are making each nation its elohims, and place [them] in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans have made, each nation in their cities where they are dwelling. 30 And the men of Babylon have made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth have made Nergal, and the men of Hamath have made Ashima, 31 and the Avites have made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites are burning their sons with fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, elohims of Sepharvim. 32 And they are fearing Yahweh, and make to themselves from their extremities priests of high places, and they are acting for them in the house of the high places. 33 Yahweh they are fearing, and their elohims they are serving, according to the custom of the nations whence they removed them. 34 Unto this day they are doing according to the former customs--they are not fearing Yahweh, and are not doing according to their statutes, and according to their ordinances, and according to the law, and according to the command, that Yahweh commanded the sons of Jacob whose name He made Israel, 35 and Yahweh makes with them a covenant, and charges them, saying, `You do not fear other elohims, 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 a stretched-out arm, Him you do fear, and to Him you bow yourselves, and to Him you do sacrifice;" 37 and the statutes, and the judgments, and the law, and the command, that He wrote for you, you observe to do all the days, and you do not fear other elohims;" 38 and the covenant that I have made with you you do not forget, and you do not fear other elohims;" 39 but Yahweh your Elohim you do fear, and He does deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies;. 40 and they have not hearkened, but according to their former custom they are doing, 41 and these nations are fearing Yahweh, and their graven images they have served, both their sons and their sons' sons; as their fathers did, they are doing unto this day.