2 Kings 17
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hoshea, the son of Elah, became king over Israel in Samaria, ruling for nine years.
In the twelfth year of Achaz the king of Judah became Hoshea' the son of Elah king in Samaria over Israel, [for] nine years.
2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, though not like the kings of Israel before him.
And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant and sent him offerings.
Against him came up Shalmanesser, the king of Assyria; and Hoshea' became his servant, and rendered him tribute.
4 But Hoshea's broken faith became clear to the king of Assyria because he had sent representatives to So, king of Egypt, and did not send his offering to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: so the king of Assyria had him shut up in prison and put in chains.
And the king of Assyria discovered a conspiracy on Hoshea'; for he had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt, and had raised no tribute for the king of Assyria, as [before] year by year; and the king of Assyria made him prisoner, and shut him up in a prison-house.
5 Then the king of Assyria went through all the land and came up to Samaria, shutting it in with his forces for three years.
And the king of Assyria came up over all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and took Israel away to Assyria, placing them in Halah and in Habor on the river Gozan, and in the towns of the Medes.
In the ninth year of Hoshea' did the king of Assyria capture Samaria, and he led Israel away as exiles into Assyria, and settled them in Chalach and in Chabor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of Media.
7 And the wrath of the Lord came on Israel because they had done evil against the Lord their God, who took them out of the land of Egypt from under the yoke of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had become worshippers of other gods,
This took place, because the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 Living by the rules of the nations whom the Lord had sent out from before the children of Israel.
And had walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before the children of Israel, and in those of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things which were not right, building high places for themselves in all their towns, from the tower of the watchmen to the walled town.
And [because] the children of Israel had secretly done things that are not right against the Lord their God, and had built themselves high-places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen up to fortified cities;
10 They put up pillars of stone and wood on every high hill and under every green tree:
And had set themselves up statues and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree;
11 Burning their offerings in all the high places, as those nations did whom the Lord sent away from before them; they did evil things, moving the Lord to wrath;
And had burnt there incense on all the high-places, like the nations that the Lord had led away exiles before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger;
12 And they made themselves servants of disgusting things, though the Lord had said, You are not to do this.
And had served the idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13 And he gave witness to Israel and Judah, by every prophet and seer, saying, Come back from your evil ways, and do my orders and keep my rules, and be guided by the law which I gave to your fathers and sent to you by my servants the prophets.
The Lord had indeed warned Israel and Judah, by means of all the prophets, all the seers, saying, Turn ye back from your evil ways, and keep my commandments [and] my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I have sent to you by means of my servants the prophets.
14 And they did not give ear, but became stiff-necked, like their fathers who had no faith in the Lord their God.
But they would not hear, and hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who had not believed in the Lord their God;
15 And they went against his rules, and the agreement which he made with their fathers, and his laws which he gave them; they gave themselves up to things without sense or value, and became foolish like the nations round them, of whom the Lord had said, Do not as they do.
And they despised his statutes, and his covenant which he had made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he had entrusted to them; and they followed after what is vanity, and became vain, and followed after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, not to do like them.
16 And turning their backs on all the orders which the Lord had given them, they made for themselves images of metal, and the image of Asherah, worshipping all the stars of heaven and becoming servants to Baal.
And they forsook all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves molten images, two calves, and made a grove, and bowed down to all the host of the heavens, and served Ba'al;
17 And they made their sons and their daughters go through the fire, and they made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, till he was moved to wrath.
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divinations and enchantments, and sold themselves to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and his face was turned away from them: only the tribe of Judah kept its place.
Therefore became the Lord very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence: there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.
19 (But even Judah did not keep the orders of the Lord their God, but were guided by the rules which Israel had made.
Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs of Israel which they had made.
20 So the Lord would have nothing to do with all the offspring of Israel, and sent trouble on them, and gave them up into the hands of their attackers, till he had sent them away from before his face.)
Therefore did the Lord reject all the seed of Israel, and he afflicted them, and gave them up into the hand of spoilers, until that he had cast them out of his presence.
21 For Israel was broken off from the family of David, and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king, who, driving them away from the laws of the Lord, made them do a great sin.
For Israel had torn themselves from the house of David, and they made Jerobo'am the son of Nebat king: and Jerobo'am misled Israel from following the Lord, and caused them to commit a great sin;
22 And the children of Israel went on with all the sins which Jeroboam did; they did not keep themselves from them;
And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jerobo'am which he did; they departed not therefrom.
23 Till the Lord put Israel away from before his face, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was taken away from their land to Assyria, to this day.
Until that the Lord removed Israel out of his presence, as he had spoken by means of all his servants the prophets; and Israel was led away as exiles out of their own land to Assyria even until this day.
24 Then the king of Assyria took men from Babylon and from Cuthah and Avva and Hamath and Sepharvaim, and put them in the towns of Samaria in place of the children of Israel; so they got Samaria for their heritage, living in its towns.
And the king of Assyria brought [men] from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from 'Avva, and from Chamath, and from Sepharvayim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in the room of the children of Israel: and they took possession of Samaria, and dwelt in its cities.
25 Now when first they were living there they did not give worship to the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them, causing the death of some of them.
And it happened at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord; wherefore the Lord sent among them lions, which slew some of them.
26 So they said to the king of Assyria, The nations whom you have taken as prisoners and put in the towns of Samaria, have no knowledge of the way of the god of the land: so he has sent lions among them, causing their death, because they have no knowledge of his way.
And they said to the king of Assyria, as followeth, The nations that thou hast led away, and settled in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land; wherefore he hath sent among them lions, and, behold, they are slaying them, since they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27 Then the king of Assyria gave orders, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you took away, and let him be living there and teaching the people the way of the god of the land.
Then commanded the king of Assyria, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye led away from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28 So one of the priests whom they had taken away as a prisoner from Samaria came back, and, living in Beth-el, became their teacher in the worship of the Lord.
And there came one of the priests whom they had led away as exiles from Samaria, and dwelt in Beth-el; and he taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 And every nation made gods for themselves, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the towns where they were living.
Yet they made, every nation, their own gods; and they put them in the houses of the high-places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
30 The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Neregal, and the men of Chamath made Ashima.
31 The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites gave their children to be burned in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
And the 'Avvites made Nibchaz and Tharthak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to 'Adrammelech and 'Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvayim.
32 So they went on worshipping the Lord, and made for themselves, from among all the people, priests for the high places, to make offerings for them in the houses of the high places.
And they feared [also] the Lord; and they made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high-places, and these sacrificed for them in the houses of the high-places.
33 They gave worship to the Lord, but they gave honour to their gods like the nations did from whom they had been taken as prisoners.
The Lord did they fear, and their own gods did they serve, after the manner of the nations whence they had been led away.
34 So to this day they go on in their old ways, not worshipping the Lord or keeping his orders or his ways or the law and the rule which the Lord gave to the children of Jacob, to whom he gave the name Israel;
Even until this day do they act after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they act after their own customs, and after their manner, nor after the law and after the commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Israel, whose name he styled Israel;
35 And the Lord made an agreement with them and gave them orders, saying, You are to have no other gods; you are not to give worship to them or be their servants or make them offerings:
With whom the Lord had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves down to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;
36 But the Lord, who took you out of the land of Egypt with his great power and his outstretched arm, he is your God, to whom you are to give worship and make offerings:
But the Lord, who hath brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great might and with an outstretched arm, him alone shall ye fear, and to him shall ye bow yourselves down, and to him shall ye sacrifice;
37 And the rules and the orders and the law which he put in writing for you, you are to keep and do for ever; you are to have no other gods.
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he hath written for you, shall ye observe to do for all time; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 And you are to keep in memory the agreement which I have made with you; and you are to have no other gods.
And the covenant that I have made with you shall ye not forget; and ye shall not fear other gods.
39 And you are to give worship to the Lord your God; for it is he who will give you salvation from the hands of all who are against you.
But the Lord your God shall ye fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 But they gave no attention, but went on in their old way.
Nevertheless they have not hearkened, but they act after their former manner.
41 So these nations, worshipping the Lord, still were servants to the images they had made; their children and their children's children did the same; as their fathers did, so do they, to this day.
So were these nations, while they feared the Lord, also serving their graven images; and both their children and their children's children do until this day as their fathers have done.
