17:1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the
son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
17:2 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD,
but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
17:3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea
became his servant, and gave him presents.
17:4 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.
17:5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land,
and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
17:6 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.
17:7 For [so] it was, that the children of Israel had sinned
against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the
land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt,
and had feared other gods,
17:8 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.
17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly things that [were]
not right against the LORD their God, and they built for
themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of
the watchmen to the fortified city.
17:10 And they set up for themselves images and groves on every
high hill, and under every green tree:
17:11 And there they burnt incense on 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:
17:12 For they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them,
Ye shall not do this thing.
17:13 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.
17:14 Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their
necks, like the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in
the LORD their God.
17:15 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] around them, [concerning]
whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like
them.
17:16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God,
and made for themselves molten images, [even] two calves, and
made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served
Baal.
17:17 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.
17:18 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.
17:19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their
God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
17:20 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.
17:21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made
Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from
following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
17:22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of
Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
17:23 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 to this day.
17:24 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 its cities.
17:25 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.
17:26 Wherefore they spoke 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.
17:27 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.
17:28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from
Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they
should fear the LORD.
17:29 Yet, 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 in which they dwelt.
17:30 And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of
Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites
burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech,
the gods of Sepharvaim.
17:32 So they feared the LORD, and made to themselves of the
lowest of them priests of the high places, who sacrificed for
them in the houses of the high places.
17:33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the
manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
17:34 To 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;
17:35 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:
17:36 But the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt
with great power and an out-stretched arm, him shall ye fear,
and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
17:37 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.
17:38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not
forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
17:39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he will deliver
you out of the hand of all your enemies.
17:40 Yet they did not hearken, but they did after their former
manner.
17:41 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 to this day.
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