The Second Book of Kings (WEB)
17: 1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria
over Israel, and reigned nine years. 17:2He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, yet not as
the kings of Israel who were before him. 17:3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria;
and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute. 17:4The 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. 17:5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and
besieged it three years. 17:6In 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. 17:7It 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, 17:8and 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.
17:9The 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;
17:10and they set them up pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under every green tree; 17:11and
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; 17:12and they served
idols, whereof Yahweh had said to them, You shall not do this thing. 17:13Yet 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. 17:14Notwithstanding, they would not
hear, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn't believe in Yahweh their
God. 17:15They 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. 17:16They forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made
them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the host of the
sky, and served Baal. 17:17They 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. 17:18Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed
them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 17:19Also Judah didn't keep the
commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
17:20Yahweh 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. 17:21For 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. 17:22The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which
he did; they didn't depart from them; 17:23until 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. 17:24The 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. 17:25So 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. 17:26Therefore 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. 17:27Then 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. 17:28So one of the priests whom they had carried away
from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Yahweh.
17:29However 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. 17:30The men of
Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made
Ashima, 17:31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in
the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 17:32So 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. 17:33They feared Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the
manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 17:34To 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; 17:35with 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: 17:36but 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: 17:37and 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: 17:38and the
covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other gods: 17:39but
Yahweh your God shall you fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
17:40However they did not listen, but they did after their former manner. 17:41So 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.
World English Bible