2 Kings 17

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, andreigned for nine years.	1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, though not like the preceding kings of Israel.	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.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria made war on Hoshea who submitted to him and paid him tribute.	3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was playing a double game with him; he had sentmessengers to Sais, to the king of Egypt, and had not, as in previous years, handed over the tribute to the kingof Assyria. For this the king of Assyria imprisoned him in chains.	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.
5 The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years.	5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites toAssyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.	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.
7 This happened because the Israelites had sinned against Yahweh their God who had brought them outof Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods,	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 Pharoah king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 they fol owed the practices of the nations which Yahweh had dispossessed for them.	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.
9 The Israelites spoke slightingly of Yahweh their God. They built themselves high places wherever theylived, from watchtower to fortified town.	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.
10 They set up pil ars and sacred poles for themselves on every high hil and under every luxuriant tree.	10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
11 They sacrificed on al the high places like the nations which Yahweh had expelled for them, and didwicked things there, provoking Yahweh's anger.	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:
12 They served idols, although Yahweh had told them, 'This you must not do.'	12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13 And yet through al the prophets and the seers, Yahweh had given Israel and Judah this warning,'Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law whichI laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets.'	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.
14 But they would not listen, they were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had no faith in Yahweh theirGod.	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.
15 They despised his laws and the covenant which he had made with their ancestors and the warningswhich he had given them. Pursuing futility, they themselves became futile through copying the nations roundthem, although Yahweh had ordered them not to act as they did.	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.
16 They rejected al the commandments of Yahweh their God and cast themselves metal idols, twocalves; they made themselves sacred poles, they worshipped the whole array of heaven, and they served Baal.	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.
17 They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire of sacrifice, also they practiseddivination and sorcery, they sold themselves to doing what displeases Yahweh, provoking his anger.	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.
18 Because of which, Yahweh became enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. The tribe ofJudah was the only one left.	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.
19 Judah did not keep the commandments of Yahweh their God either but copied the practices whichIsrael had introduced.	19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 Yahweh rejected the whole race of Israel; he brought them low, delivering them into the hands ofmarauders, until at length he thrust them away from him.	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.
21 And indeed he had torn Israel away from the House of David, and they had made Jeroboam son ofNebat king; Jeroboam had drawn Israel away from Yahweh and led them into a great sin.	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.
22 The Israelites copied the sin which Jeroboam had committed; they did not give it up,	22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
23 until at length Yahweh thrust Israel away from him, as he had foretold through all his servants theprophets; he deported the Israelites from their own country to Assyria, where they have been ever since.	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.
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim, andsettled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites; these took possession of Samaria and lived in itstowns.	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.
25 When they first came to live there, they did not worship Yahweh; hence, Yahweh set lions on them,which kil ed a number of them.	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.
26 Consequently, the king of Assyria was informed as follows, 'The nations whom you deported andsettled in the towns of Samaria do not know how to worship the local god, and he has set lions on them; andnow these are kil ing them because they do not know how to worship the local god.'	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.
27 So the king of Assyria gave this order, 'Send back one of the priests whom I deported from there; lethim go and live there and teach them how to worship the local god.'	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.
28 Accordingly, one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria came to live in Bethel; he taughtthem how to worship Yahweh.	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.
29 Each nationality made gods of its own and put them in the shrines on the high places built by theSamaritans; each nationality did this in the towns where it lived.	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.
30 The people from Babylon had made a Succoth-Benoth, the people from Cuthah a Nergal, the peoplefrom Hamath an Ashima,	30 And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 the Avvites a Nibhaz and a Tartak; while the Sepharvites caused their children to pass through the fireof sacrifice to Adrammelech and Anammelech, gods of Sepharvaim.	31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 They worshipped Yahweh as well, and they appointed priests out of their own number for the highplaces, and these officiated in the shrines on the high places.	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.
33 They worshipped Yahweh and served their own gods at the same time, with the rites of the countriesfrom which they had been deported.	33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
34 They stil fol ow their old rites even now. They did not worship Yahweh and did not conform to hisstatutes or ritual, or the law or the commandments, which Yahweh had laid down for the sons of Jacob to whomhe gave the name Israel.	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;
35 Yahweh had made a covenant with them and had given them this command, 'You are not to worshipalien gods, you are not to bow down to them or serve them or offer them sacrifices.	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:
36 You are to bow down and offer sacrifice only to Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt with greatpower and outstretched arm.	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.
37 You are to observe the statutes and ritual, the law and the commandments which he has given you inwriting and to which you are always to conform; you are not to worship alien gods.	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.
38 Do not forget the covenant which I have made with you, and do not venerate alien gods.	38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
39 But venerate Yahweh your God, and he wil deliver you from the clutches of all your enemies.'	39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 But they would not listen and stil followed their old rites.	40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
41 These nationalities, then, worshipped Yahweh and served their idols as well, as did their children; andtheir children's children still behave today as their ancestors behaved in the past.	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.