1
In the twelfth[H8147]year[H8141] of Ahaz[H271]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] began Hoshea[H1954] the son[H1121] of Elah[H425] to reign[H4427] in Samaria[H8111] over Israel[H3478]nine[H8672]years[H8141].
2
And he did[H6213] that which was evil[H7451] in the sight[H5869] of the LORD[H3068], but not as the kings[H4428] of Israel[H3478] that were before[H6440] him.
3
Against him came up[H5927]Shalmaneser[H8022]king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]; and Hoshea[H1954] became his servant[H5650], and gave[H7725] him presents[H4503].
4
And the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]found[H4672]conspiracy[H7195] in Hoshea[H1954]: for he had sent[H7971]messengers[H4397] to So[H5471]king[H4428] of Egypt[H4714], and brought[H5927] no present[H4503] to the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], as he had done year[H8141] by year[H8141]: therefore the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] shut him up[H6113], and bound[H631] him in prison[H1004].
5
Then the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804] came up[H5927] throughout all the land[H776], and went up[H5927] to Samaria[H8111], and besieged[H6696] it three[H7969]years[H8141].
6
In the ninth[H8671]year[H8141] of Hoshea[H1954] the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]took[H3920]Samaria[H8111], and carried[H1540]Israel[H3478]away[H1540] into Assyria[H804], and placed[H3427] them in Halah[H2477] and in Habor[H2249] by the river[H5104] of Gozan[H1470], and in the cities[H5892] of the Medes[H4074].
7
For so it was, that the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] had sinned[H2398] against the LORD[H3068] their God[H430], which had brought them up[H5927] out of the land[H776] of Egypt[H4714], from under the hand[H3027] of Pharaoh[H6547]king[H4428] of Egypt[H4714], and had feared[H3372]other[H312]gods[H430],
8
And walked[H3212] in the statutes[H2708] of the heathen[H1471], whom the LORD[H3068] cast out[H3423] from before[H6440] the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], and of the kings[H4428] of Israel[H3478], which they had made[H6213].
9
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] did secretly[H2644] those things[H1697] that were not right against the LORD[H3068] their God[H430], and they built[H1129] them high places[H1116] in all their cities[H5892], from the tower[H4026] of the watchmen[H5341] to the fenced[H4013]city[H5892].
10
And they set them up[H5324]images[H4676] and groves[H842] in every high[H1364]hill[H1389], and under every green[H7488]tree[H6086]:
11
And there they burnt incense[H6999] in all the high places[H1116], as did the heathen[H1471] whom the LORD[H3068] carried away[H1540]before[H6440] them; and wrought[H6213]wicked[H7451]things[H1697] to provoke the LORD[H3068] to anger[H3707]:
12
For they served[H5647]idols[H1544], whereof the LORD[H3068] had said[H559] unto them, Ye shall not do[H6213] this thing[H1697].
13
Yet the LORD[H3068]testified[H5749] against Israel[H3478], and against Judah[H3063], by[H3027] all the prophets[H5030], and by[H3027] all the seers[H2374], saying[H559], Turn[H7725] ye from your evil[H7451]ways[H1870], and keep[H8104] my commandments[H4687] and my statutes[H2708], according to all the law[H8451] which I commanded[H6680] your fathers[H1], and which I sent[H7971] to you by[H3027] my servants[H5650] the prophets[H5030].
14
Notwithstanding they would not hear[H8085], but hardened[H7185] their necks[H6203], like to the neck[H6203] of their fathers[H1], that did not believe[H539] in the LORD[H3068] their God[H430].
15
And they rejected[H3988] his statutes[H2706], and his covenant[H1285] that he made[H3772] with their fathers[H1], and his testimonies[H5715] which he testified[H5749] against them; and they followed[H3212]vanity[H1892], and became vain[H1891], and went after[H310] the heathen[H1471] that were round about[H5439] them, concerning whom the LORD[H3068] had charged[H6680] them, that they should not do[H6213] like them.
16
And they left[H5800] all the commandments[H4687] of the LORD[H3068] their God[H430], and made[H6213] them molten images[H4541], even two[H8147]calves[H5695], and made[H6213] a grove[H842], and worshipped[H7812] all the host[H6635] of heaven[H8064], and served[H5647]Baal[H1168].
17
And they caused their sons[H1121] and their daughters[H1323] to pass[H5674] through the fire[H784], and used[H7080]divination[H7081] and enchantments[H5172], and sold[H4376] themselves to do[H6213]evil[H7451] in the sight[H5869] of the LORD[H3068], to provoke him to anger[H3707].
18
Therefore the LORD[H3068] was very[H3966]angry[H599] with Israel[H3478], and removed[H5493] them out of his sight[H6440]: there was none left[H7604] but the tribe[H7626] of Judah[H3063] only.
19
Also Judah[H3063]kept[H8104] not the commandments[H4687] of the LORD[H3068] their God[H430], but walked[H3212] in the statutes[H2708] of Israel[H3478] which they made[H6213].
20
And the LORD[H3068]rejected[H3988] all the seed[H2233] of Israel[H3478], and afflicted[H6031] them, and delivered[H5414] them into the hand[H3027] of spoilers[H8154], until he had cast[H7993] them out of his sight[H6440].
21
For he rent[H7167]Israel[H3478] from the house[H1004] of David[H1732]; and they made Jeroboam[H3379] the son[H1121] of Nebat[H5028]king[H4427]: and Jeroboam[H3379]drave[H5080]Israel[H3478] from following[H310] the LORD[H3068], and made them sin[H2398] a great[H1419]sin[H2401].
22
For the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]walked[H3212] in all the sins[H2403] of Jeroboam[H3379] which he did[H6213]; they departed[H5493] not from them;
23
Until the LORD[H3068]removed[H5493]Israel[H3478] out of his sight[H6440], as he had said[H1696]by[H3027] all his servants[H5650] the prophets[H5030]. So was Israel[H3478] carried away[H1540] out of their own land[H127] to Assyria[H804] unto this day[H3117].
24
And the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]brought[H935] men from Babylon[H894], and from Cuthah[H3575], and from Ava[H5755], and from Hamath[H2574], and from Sepharvaim[H5617], and placed[H3427] them in the cities[H5892] of Samaria[H8111] instead of the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]: and they possessed[H3423]Samaria[H8111], and dwelt[H3427] in the cities[H5892] thereof.
25
And so it was at the beginning[H8462] of their dwelling[H3427] there, that they feared[H3372] not the LORD[H3068]: therefore the LORD[H3068]sent[H7971]lions[H738] among them, which slew[H2026] some of them.
26
Wherefore they spake[H559] to the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], saying[H559], The nations[H1471] which thou hast removed[H1540], and placed[H3427] in the cities[H5892] of Samaria[H8111], know[H3045] not the manner[H4941] of the God[H430] of the land[H776]: therefore he hath sent[H7971]lions[H738] among them, and, behold, they slay[H4191] them, because they know[H3045] not the manner[H4941] of the God[H430] of the land[H776].
27
Then the king[H4428] of Assyria[H804]commanded[H6680], saying[H559], Carry[H3212] thither one[H259] of the priests[H3548] whom ye brought[H1540] from thence; and let them go[H3212] and dwell[H3427] there, and let him teach[H3384] them the manner[H4941] of the God[H430] of the land[H776].
28
Then one[H259] of the priests[H3548] whom they had carried away[H1540] from Samaria[H8111]came[H935] and dwelt[H3427] in Bethel[H1008], and taught[H3384] them how they should fear[H3372] the LORD[H3068].
29
Howbeit every nation[H1471]made[H6213]gods[H430] of their own, and put[H3240] them in the houses[H1004] of the high places[H1116] which the Samaritans[H8118] had made[H6213], every nation[H1471] in their cities[H5892] wherein they dwelt[H3427].
30
And the men[H582] of Babylon[H894]made[H6213]Succothbenoth[H5524], and the men[H582] of Cuth[H3575]made[H6213]Nergal[H5370], and the men[H582] of Hamath[H2574]made[H6213]Ashima[H807],
31
And the Avites[H5757]made[H6213]Nibhaz[H5026] and Tartak[H8662], and the Sepharvites[H5616]burnt[H8313] their children[H1121] in fire[H784] to Adrammelech[H152] and Anammelech[H6048], the gods[H430] of Sepharvaim[H5617].
32
So they feared[H3373] the LORD[H3068], and made[H6213] unto themselves of the lowest[H7098] of them priests[H3548] of the high places[H1116], which sacrificed[H6213] for them in the houses[H1004] of the high places[H1116].
33
They feared[H3373] the LORD[H3068], and served[H5647] their own gods[H430], after the manner[H4941] of the nations[H1471] whom they carried away[H1540] from thence.
34
Unto this day[H3117] they do[H6213] after the former[H7223]manners[H4941]: they fear[H3373] not the LORD[H3068], neither do[H6213] they after their statutes[H2708], or after their ordinances[H4941], or after the law[H8451] and commandment[H4687] which the LORD[H3068]commanded[H6680] the children[H1121] of Jacob[H3290], whom he named[H7760]Israel[H3478];
35
With whom the LORD[H3068] had made[H3772] a covenant[H1285], and charged[H6680] them, saying[H559], Ye shall not fear[H3372]other[H312]gods[H430], nor bow[H7812] yourselves to them, nor serve[H5647] them, nor sacrifice[H2076] to them:
36
But the LORD[H3068], who brought you up[H5927]out[H5186] of the land[H776] of Egypt[H4714] with great[H1419]power[H3581] and a stretched out[H5186]arm[H2220], him shall ye fear[H3372], and him shall ye worship[H7812], and to him shall ye do sacrifice[H2076].
37
And the statutes[H2706], and the ordinances[H4941], and the law[H8451], and the commandment[H4687], which he wrote[H3789] for you, ye shall observe[H8104] to do[H6213] for evermore[H3117]; and ye shall not fear[H3372]other[H312]gods[H430].
38
And the covenant[H1285] that I have made[H3772] with you ye shall not forget[H7911]; neither shall ye fear[H3372]other[H312]gods[H430].
39
But the LORD[H3068] your God[H430] ye shall fear[H3372]; and he shall deliver[H5337] you out of the hand[H3027] of all your enemies[H341].
40
Howbeit they did[H6213] not hearken[H8085], but they did[H6213] after their former[H7223]manner[H4941].
41
So these nations[H1471]feared[H3373] the LORD[H3068], and served[H5647] their graven images[H6456], both their children[H1121], and their children[H1121]'s children[H1121]: as did[H6213] their fathers[H1], so do[H6213] they unto this day[H3117].