2Kgs 17
1
In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda, Osee the son of Ela reigned in Samaria
over Israel nine years.
2
And he did evil before the Lord: but not as the kings of Israel that had been before
him.
3
Against him came up Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, and Osee became his servant,
and paid him tribute.
4
And when the king of the Assyrians found that Osee endeavouring to rebel had sent
messengers to Sua the king of Egypt, that he might not pay tribute to the king of
the Assyrians, as he had done every year, he besieged him, bound him, and cast him
into prison,
5
And he went through all the land: and going up to Samaria, he besieged it three years.
6
And in the ninth year of Osee, the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried
Israel away to Assyria: and he placed them in Hala and Habor by the river of Gozan,
in the cities of the Medes.
7
For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who
brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king of Egypt,
and they worshipped strange gods.
8
And they walked according to the way of the nations which the Lord had destroyed in
the sight of the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel: because they had done
in like manner.
9
And the children of Israel offended the Lord their God with things that were not right:
and built them high places in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen to the
fenced city.
10
And they made them statues and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree:
11
And they burnt incense there upon altars after the manner of the nations which the
Lord had removed from their face: and they did wicked things, provoking the Lord.
12
And they worshipped abominations, concerning which the Lord had commanded them that
they should not do this thing.
13
And the Lord testified to them in Israel and in Juda by the hand of all the prophets
and seers, saying: Return from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts, and ceremonies,
according to all the law which I commanded your fathers: and as I have sent to you
in the hand of my servants the prophets.
14
And they hearkened not, but hardened their necks like to the neck of their fathers,
who would not obey the Lord their God.
15
And they rejected his ordinances and the covenant that he made with their fathers,
and the testimonies which he testified against them: and they followed vanities, and
acted vainly: and they followed the nations that were round about them, concerning
which the Lord had commanded them that they should not do as they did.
16
And they forsook all the precepts of the Lord their God: and made to themselves two
molten calves, and groves, and adored all the host of heaven: and they served Baal.
17
And consecrated their sons, and their daughters through fire: and they gave themselves
to divinations, and soothsayings: and they delivered themselves up to do evil before
the Lord, to provoke him.
18
And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from his sight, and there
remained only the tribe of Juda.
19
But neither did Juda itself keep the commandments of the Lord their God: but they
walked in the errors of Israel, which they had wrought.
20
And the Lord cast off all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them and delivered them
into the hand of spoilers, till he cast them away from his face:
21
Even from that time, when Israel was rent from the house of David, and made Jeroboam
son of Nabat their king: for Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and made them
commit a great sin.
22
And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done:
and they departed not from them,
23
Till the Lord removed Israel from his face, as he had spoken in the hand of all his
servants the prophets: and Israel was carried away out of their land to Assyria, unto
this day.
24
And the king of the Assyrians brought people from Babylon, and from Cutha, and from
Avah, and from Emath, 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.
25
And when they began to dwell there, they feared not the Lord: and the Lord sent lions
among them, which killed them.
26
And it was told the king of the Assyrians, and it was said: The nations which thou
hast removed, and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the ordinances
of the God of the land: and the Lord hath sent lions among them: and behold they kill
them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27
And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying: Carry thither one of the priests
whom you brought from thence captive, and let him go, and dwell with them: and let
him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.
28
So one of the priests who had been carried away captive from Samaria, came and dwelt
in Bethel, and taught them how they should worship the Lord.
29
And every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the temples of the high places,
which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities where they dwelt.
30
For the men of Babylon made Sochothbenoth: and the Cuthites made Nergel: and the men
of Emath made Asima.
31
And the Hevites made Nebahaz and Tharthac. And they that were of Sepharvaim burnt
their children in fire, to Adramelech and Anamelech the gods of Sepharvaim.
32
And nevertheless they worshipped the Lord. And they made to themselves, of the lowest
of the people, priests of the high places, and they placed them in the temples of
the high places.
33
And when they worshipped the Lord, they served also their own gods according to the
custom of the nations out of which they were brought to Samaria:
34
Unto this day they followed the old manner: they fear not the Lord, neither do they
keep his ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and the commandment, which the Lord commanded
the children of Jacob, whom he surnamed Israel:
35
With whom he made a covenant, and charged them, saying: You shall not fear strange
gods, nor shall you adore them, nor worship them, nor sacrifice to them.
36
But the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power,
and a stretched out arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you adore, and to him shall
you sacrifice.
37
And the ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and the commandment, which he wrote for
you, you shall observe to do them always: and you shall not fear strange gods.
38
And the covenant that he made with you, you shall not forget: neither shall ye worship
strange gods,
39
But fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40
But they did not hearken, but did according to their old custom.
41
So these nations feared the Lord, but nevertheless served also their idols: their
children also and grandchildren, as their fathers did, so do they unto this day.