2Kgs 17
1
In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda Gr. reigned began Osee the son of Ela to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2
And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel that were
before him.
3
Against him came up Salamanassar king of the Assyrians; and Osee became his servant,
and rendered him tribute.
4
And the king of the Assyrians found iniquity in Osee, in that he sent messengers to
Segor king of Egypt, and brought not a tribute to the king of the Assyrians in that
year: and the king of the Assyrians besieged him, and bound him in the prison-house.
5
And the king of the Assyrians went up Or, through against all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it for three
years.
6
In the ninth year of Osee the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel
away to the Assyrians, and settled them in Alae, and in Abor, near the rivers of Gozan,
and in the mountains of the Medes.
7
For it came to pass that the children of Israel had transgressed against the Lord
their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of
Pharao king of Egypt, and they feared other gods,
8
and walked in the Or, customs statutes of the nations which the Lord cast out before the face of the children of
Israel, and of the kings of Israel as many as did such things,
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and in those of the children of Israel as many as Gr. cloaked matters secretly practised customs, not as they should have
done, against the Lord their
God:
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and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the
watchmen to the Gr. strong fortified city. And they made for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill,
and under every shady tree.
11
And burned incense there on all high places, as the nations did whom the Lord removed
from before them, and dealt with familiar spirits, and they carved images to provoke
the Lord to anger.
12
And they served the idols, of which the Lord said to them, You shall not do this thing
against the Lord.
13
And the Lord testified against Israel and against Juda, even by the hand of all his
prophets, and of every seer, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments
and my ordinances, and all the law which I commanded your fathers, and all that I
sent to them by the hand of my servants the prophets.
14
But they hearkened not, and made their Gr. back; Heb. back part of the neck neck harder than the neck of their fathers.
15
And they kept not any of his testimonies which he charged them; and they walked after
vanities, and became vain, and after the nations round about them, concerning which
the Lord had charged them not to do accordingly.
16
They forsook the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves Gr. a graven image graven images, even two heifers,
and they made groves, and worshiped all the host
of heaven, and served Baal.
17
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used
divinations and auspices, and Gr. were sold sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him.
18
And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; and there
was only left the tribe of Juda quite alone.
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Nay even Juda kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but they walked according
to the customs of Israel which they practised, and rejected the Lord.
20
And the Lord was angry with the whole seed of Israel, and Or, unsettled them troubled them, and gave them into the hand of
them that spoiled them, until he cast
them out of his presence.
21
The Complut. is better, plhn oti erragh o israhl ap oikou k. t. l. Seeing that as Israel revolted from the house of David,
and they made Jeroboam the
son of Nabat king: and Jeroboam drew off Israel from following the Lord, and led them
to sin a great sin.
22
And the children of Israel walked in all the sin of Jeroboam which he committed; they
departed not from it,
23
until the Lord removed Israel from his presence, as the Lord spoke Gr. by the hand of by all his servants the prophets; and
Israel was removed from off their land to the
Assyrians until this day.
24
And the king of Assyria brought from Babylon the men of Chutha, and men from Aia,
and from Æmath, and Seppharvaim, and they were settled in the cities of Samaria in
the place of the children of Israel: and they inherited Samaria, and were settled
in its cities.
25
And it was so at the beginning of their establishment there that they feared not the
Lord, and the Lord sent lions among them, and they slew some of them.
26
And they spoke to the king of the Assyrians, saying, The nations whom you have removed
and substituted in the cities of Samaria for the Israelites, know not Gr. judgement; Hebraism the manner of the God of the
land: and he has sent the lions against them, and, behold,
they are slaying them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27
And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying, Bring some Israelites thence, and
let them go and dwell there, and they shall teach them the manner of the God of the
land.
28
And they brought one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria, and he settled
in Baethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29
But the nations made each their own gods, and put them in the house of the high places
which the Samaritans had made, each nation in the cities in which they dwelt.
30
And the men of Babylon made Socchoth Benith, and the men of Chuth made Ergel, and
the men of Haemath made Asimath.
31
And the Evites made Eblazer and Tharthac, and the inhabitant of Seppharvaim did evil
when they burnt their sons in the fire to Adramelech and Anemelech, the gods of Seppharvaim.
32
And they feared the Lord, yet they established their abominations in the houses of
the high places which they made in Samaria, each nation in the city in which they
dwelt: and they feared the Lord, and they made for themselves priests of the high
places, and sacrificed for themselves in the house of the high places.
33
And they feared the Lord, and served their gods according to the manner of the nations,
whence their lords brought them.
34
Until this day they did according to their manner: they fear the Lord, and they do
according to their customs, and according to their manner, and according to the law,
and according to the commandment which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whose
name he made Israel.
35
And the Lord made a covenant with them, and charged them, saying, You shall not fear
other gods, neither shall you worship them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36
but only to the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great strength
and with a high arm: him shall you fear, and him shall you worship; to him shall you
sacrifice.
37
You shall observe continually the ordinances, and the judgements, and the law, and
the commandments which he wrote for you to do; and you shall not fear other gods.
38
Neither shall you forget the covenant which he made with you: and you shall not fear
other gods.
39
But you shall fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you from all your enemies.
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Neither shall you comply with their practice, which they follow.
41
So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images: yea, their sons
and their son’s sons do until this day even as their fathers did.