Chapter 17

In the twelfth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign¹ in Samaria over Israel nine years.

And he did⁴ [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

Against him came up¹ Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave⁵⁵ him presents.

And the king of Assyria found⁴ conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent¹ messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought⁵² no present to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up,⁴ and bound⁴ him in prison. ³⁶⁰⁸

Then the king of Assyria came up⁴ throughout all the land, and went up⁴ to Samaria, and besieged⁴ it three years.

In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took¹ Samaria, and carried Israel away⁵⁵ into Assyria, and placed⁵⁵ them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

For [so] it was, that the children of Israel had sinned¹ against the LORD their God, which had brought them up⁵⁶ out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared⁴ other gods,

And walked⁴ in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out⁵² from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.¹

And the children of Israel did secretly¹⁷ [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built⁴ them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen⁶ to the fenced city.

And they set them up⁵⁵ images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

And there they burnt incense¹⁷ in all the high places, as [did] the heathen whom the LORD carried away⁵² before them; and wrought⁴ wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:⁵³

For they served⁴ idols, whereof the LORD had said¹ unto them, Ye shall not do⁴ this thing.

Yet the LORD testified⁵⁵ against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, [and by] all the seers, saying,² Turn³ ye from your evil ways, and keep³ my commandments [and] my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded¹⁴ your fathers, and which I sent¹ to you by my servants the prophets.

Notwithstanding they would not hear,¹ but hardened⁵⁵ their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe⁵² in the LORD their God.

And they rejected⁴ his statutes, and his covenant that he made¹ with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified⁵² against them; and they followed^{4 310} vanity, and became vain,⁴ and went after the heathen that [were] round about them, [concerning] whom the LORD had charged¹⁴ them, that they should not do² like them.

And they left⁴ all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made⁴ them molten images, [even] two calves, and made⁴ a grove, and worshipped¹⁰¹ all the host of heaven, and served⁴ Baal.

And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass⁵⁵ through the fire, and used⁴ divination and enchantments,¹⁷ and sold¹⁰¹ themselves to do² evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.⁵³

Therefore the LORD was very angry¹⁰¹ with Israel, and removed⁵⁵ them out of his sight: there was none left⁸ but the tribe of Judah only.

Also Judah kept¹ not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked⁴ in the statutes of Israel which they made.¹

And the LORD rejected⁴ all the seed of Israel, and afflicted¹⁷ them, and delivered⁴ them into the hand of spoilers,⁶ until he had cast⁵² them out of his sight.

For he rent¹ Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king:⁵⁵ and Jeroboam drave^{55 5077 55} Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin⁵² a great sin.

For the children of Israel walked⁴ in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did;¹ they departed¹ not from them;

Until the LORD removed⁵² Israel out of his sight, as he had said¹⁴ by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away⁴ out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

And the king of Assyria brought⁵⁵ [men] from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed⁵⁵ [them] in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed⁴ Samaria, and dwelt⁴ in the cities thereof.

And [so] it was at the beginning of their dwelling² there, [that] they feared¹ not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent¹⁷ lions among them, which slew⁶ [some] of them.

Wherefore they spake⁴ to the king of Assyria, saying,² The nations which thou hast removed,⁵² and placed⁵⁵ in the cities of Samaria, know¹ not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent¹⁷ lions among them, and, behold, they slay⁵⁶ them, because they know⁶ not the manner of the God of the land.

Then the king of Assyria commanded,¹⁷ saying,² Carry⁵⁴ thither one of the priests whom ye brought⁵² from thence; and let them go⁴ and dwell⁴ there, and let him teach⁵⁵ them the manner of the God of the land.

Then one of the priests whom they had carried away⁵² from Samaria came⁴ and dwelt⁴ in Bethel, and taught⁵⁶ them how they should fear⁴ the LORD.

Howbeit every nation ¹⁴⁷¹ made⁶ gods of their own, and put⁵⁵ [them] in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made,¹ every nation ¹⁴⁷¹ in their cities wherein they dwelt.⁶

And the men of Babylon made¹ Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made¹ Nergal, and the men of Hamath made¹ Ashima,

And the Avites made¹ Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt⁶ their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

So they feared the LORD, and made⁴ unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed⁶ for them in the houses of the high places.

They feared the LORD, and served⁶ their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away⁵² from thence.

Unto this day they do⁶ after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do⁶ they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded¹⁴ the children of Jacob, whom he named^{1 8034} Israel;

With whom the LORD had made⁴ a covenant, and charged¹⁷ them, saying,² Ye shall not fear⁴ other gods, nor bow¹⁰¹ yourselves to them, nor serve⁴ them, nor sacrifice⁴ to them:

But the LORD, who brought you up⁵² out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out⁷ arm, him shall ye fear,⁴ and him shall ye worship,¹⁰¹ and to him shall ye do sacrifice.⁴

And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote¹ for you, ye shall observe⁴ to do² for evermore; ³¹¹⁷ and ye shall not fear⁴ other gods.

And the covenant that I have made¹ with you ye shall not forget;⁴ neither shall ye fear⁴ other gods.

But the LORD your God ye shall fear;⁴ and he shall deliver⁵⁵ you out of the hand of all your enemies.⁶

Howbeit they did not hearken,¹ but they did⁶ after their former manner.

So these nations feared the LORD, and served⁶ their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did¹ their fathers, so do⁶ they unto this day.