2 Kings 17

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN 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, Hoshea, son of Elah, began his nine-year reign over Israel in Samaria.
2 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, though not like the preceding kings of Israel.	2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not to the extent of the kings of Israel before him.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria made war on Hoshea who submitted to him and paid him tribute.	3 Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, advanced against him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
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 But the king of Assyria found Hoshea guilty of conspiracy for sending envoys to the king of Egypt at Sais, and for failure to pay the annual tribute to his Assyrian overlord.
5 The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years.	5 For this, the king of Assyria arrested and imprisoned Hoshea; he then occupied the whole land and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for 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 deported the Israelites to Assyria, settling them in Halah, at the Habor, a 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 This came about because the Israelites sinned against the LORD, their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and because they venerated other gods.
8 they fol owed the practices of the nations which Yahweh had dispossessed for them.	8 They followed the rites of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites (and the kings of Israel whom they set up).
9 The Israelites spoke slightingly of Yahweh their God. They built themselves high places wherever theylived, from watchtower to fortified town.	9 They adopted unlawful practices toward the LORD, their God. They built high places in all their settlements, the watchtowers as well as the walled cities.
10 They set up pil ars and sacred poles for themselves on every high hil and under every luxuriant tree.	10 They set up pillars and sacred poles for themselves on every high hill and under every leafy 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 There, on all the high places, they burned incense like the nations whom the LORD had sent into exile at their coming. They did evil things that provoked the LORD,
12 They served idols, although Yahweh had told them, 'This you must not do.'	12 and served idols, although the LORD had told them, "You must not do this."
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 And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, "Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent 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 they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed 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 They rejected his statutes, the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and the warnings which he had given them. The vanity they pursued, they themselves became: they followed the surrounding nations whom the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.
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 They disregarded all the commandments of the LORD, their God, and made for themselves two molten calves; they also made a sacred pole and worshiped 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 They immolated their sons and daughters by fire, practiced fortune-telling and divination, and sold themselves into evil doing in the LORD'S sight, provoking him
18 Because of which, Yahweh became enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. The tribe ofJudah was the only one left.	18 till, in his great anger against Israel, the LORD put them away out of his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left.
19 Judah did not keep the commandments of Yahweh their God either but copied the practices whichIsrael had introduced.	19 Even the people of Judah, however, did not keep the commandments of the LORD, their God, but followed the rites practiced by Israel.
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 So the LORD rejected the whole race of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them over to plunderers, finally casting them out from before him.
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 When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, king; he drove the Israelites away from the LORD, causing them to commit a great sin.
22 The Israelites copied the sin which Jeroboam had committed; they did not give it up,	22 The Israelites imitated Jeroboam in all the sins he committed, nor would they desist 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 Finally, the LORD put Israel away out of his sight as he had foretold through all his servants, the prophets; and Israel went into exile from their native soil to Assyria, an exile lasting to the present.
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 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.
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 When they first settled there, they did not venerate the LORD, so he sent lions among them that killed some of their number.
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 A report reached the king of Assyria: "The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know how to worship the God of the land, and he has sent lions among them that are killing them, since they do not know how to worship 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 The king of Assyria gave the order, "Send back one of the priests whom I deported, to go there and settle, to teach them how to worship 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 So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned and settled in Bethel, and taught them how to venerate 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 But these peoples began to make their own gods in the various cities in which they were living; in the shrines on the high places which the Samarians had made, each people set up gods.
30 The people from Babylon had made a Succoth-Benoth, the people from Cuthah a Nergal, the peoplefrom Hamath an Ashima,	30 Thus the Babylonians made Marduk and his consort; the men of Cuth made Nergal; 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 the men of Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the men of Sepharvaim immolated their children by fire to their city gods, King Hadad and his consort Anath.
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 They also venerated the LORD, choosing from their number priests for the high places, who officiated for them in the shrines on 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 But, while venerating the LORD, they served their own gods, following the worship of the nations from among whom they had been deported.
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 To this day they worship according to their ancient rites. (They did not venerate the LORD nor observe the statutes and regulations, the law and commandments, which the LORD enjoined on the descendants of Jacob, whom he had 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 When he made a covenant with them, he commanded them: "You must not venerate other gods, nor worship them, nor serve them, nor offer 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 The LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and outstretched arm: him shall you venerate, him shall you worship, and to him shall you 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 You must be careful to observe forever the statutes and regulations, the law and commandment, which he wrote for you, and you must not venerate other gods.
38 Do not forget the covenant which I have made with you, and do not venerate alien gods.	38 The covenant which I made with you, you must not forget; you must not venerate 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, you must venerate; it is he who will deliver you from the power of all your enemies."
40 But they would not listen and stil followed their old rites.	40 They did not listen, however, but continued in their earlier 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 Thus these nations venerated the LORD, but also served their idols. And their sons and grandsons, to this day, are doing as their fathers did.