Israel’s King Hoshea
1 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hosheason of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years.
2 He did what was evil in theLord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3 Shalmaneserking of Assyria attacked him,and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money.
4 But the king of Assyria discovered Hoshea’s conspiracy. He had sent envoys to So king of Egyptand had not paid tribute money to the king of Assyria as in previous years.Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
The Fall of Samaria
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea,the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deportedthe Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes.
Why Israel Fell
7 This disaster happened because the people of Israel had sinned against theLordtheir God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egyptand because they had worshipedother gods.
8 They had lived according to the customs of the nations that theLordhad dispossessed before the Israelitesand the customs the kings of Israel had introduced.
9 The Israelites secretly did what was not rightagainst theLordtheir God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtowerto fortified city.
10 They set up for themselves sacred pillarsand Asherah poleson every high hill and under every green tree.
11 They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that theLordhad driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking theLord.
12 They served idols, although theLordhad told them, “You must not do this.”
13 Still, theLordwarnedIsrael and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commands and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets.”
14 But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate liketheir ancestors who did not believe theLordtheir God.
15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestorsand the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves,following the surrounding nations theLordhad commanded them not to imitate.
16 They abandoned all the commands of theLordtheir God. They made cast imagesfor themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole.They worshiped the whole heavenly hostand served Baal.
17 They made their sons and daughters pass through the fireand practiced divination and interpreted omens.They devoted themselves to do what was evil in theLord’s sight and provoked Him.
18 Therefore, theLordwas very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence.Only the tribe of Judah remained.
19 Even Judah did not keep the commands of theLordtheir Godbut lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.
20 So theLordrejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence.
Summary of Israel’s History
21 When theLordtoreIsrael from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king.Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following theLordand caused them to commit great sin.
22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them.
23 Finally, theLordremoved Israel from His presence just as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland until today.
Foreign Refugees in Israel
24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in place of the Israelites in the cities of Samaria. The settlers took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
25 When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahweh. So theLordsent lions among them, which killed some of them.
26 The settlers spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations that you have deported and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Therefore He has sent lions among them that are killing them because the people don’t know the requirements of the God of the land.”
27 Then the king of Assyria issued a command: “Send back one of the priests you deported.Have him go and live there so he can teach them the requirements of the God of the land.”
28 So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel,and he began to teach them how they should fear Yahweh.
29 But the people of each nation were still making their own gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.
30 The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fireto Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim.
32 They feared theLord, but they also appointed from their number priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places.
33 They feared theLord, but they also worshiped their own godsaccording to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from.
34 They are still practicing the former customs to this day. None of them fear theLordor observe their statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments theLordcommanded the descendants of Jacob. He had renamed him Israel.
35 TheLordmade a covenant with them and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them;do not serve them; do not sacrifice to them.
36 Instead fear theLord, who brought you from the land of Egypt with great powerand an outstretched arm.You are to bow down to Him, and you are to sacrifice to Him.
37 You are to be careful alwaysto observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you; do not fear other gods.
38 Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you.Do not fear other gods,
39 but fear theLordyour God, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40 However, they would not listen but continued practicing their former customs.
41 These nations feared theLordbut also served their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did until today.
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