2KI-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.

+2KI-17:2 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the

LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

2KI-17:3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and

Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

2KI-17:4 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.

2KI-17:5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the

land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

2KI-17:6 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.

2KI-17:7 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,

2KI-17:8 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.

2KI-17:9 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.

2KI-17:10 And they set them up images and groves in every high

hill, and under every green tree:

2KI-17:11 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:

2KI-17:12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto

them, Ye shall not do this thing.

KI-17:13 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.

2KI-17:14 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.

2KI-17:15 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.

2KI-17:16 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.

2KI-17:17 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.

2KI-17:18 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.

2KI-17:19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their

God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

2KI-17:20 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.

2KI-17:21 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.

2KI-17:22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of

Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

2KI-17:23 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.

2KI-17:24 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.

2KI-17:25 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.

2KI-17:26 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.

2KI-17:27 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.

2KI-17:28 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.

2KI-17:29 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.

2KI-17:30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men

of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

2KI-17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the

Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and

Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

2KI-17:32 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.

2KI-17:33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after

the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

2KI-17:34 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;

2KI-17:35 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:

2KI-17:36 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.

2KI-17:37 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.

2KI-17:38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall

not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.

2KI-17:39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall

deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

2KI-17:40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their

former manner.

2KI-17:41 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.

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