1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and paid him tribute. 4And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute 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. 5Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they feared other gods, 8and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9And the children of Israel secretly did things against Jehovah their God that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and groves on every high hill and under every green tree. 11There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom Jehovah had carried away before them, and did evil things to provoke Jehovah to anger; 12for they served idols, of which Jehovah had said to them, You shall not do this thing. 13Yet Jehovah testified against Israel and against Judah, by the hand of all of His prophets and every seer, saying, Turn away from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I have commanded your fathers, and which I have sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets. 14Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who had not believed in Jehovah their God. 15And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they went after their vanities, became vain, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom Jehovah had charged them that they should not do like them. 16And they left all the commandments of Jehovah their God, made for themselves molten images, two calves, made a grove and bowed down to all the host of the heavens, and served Baal. 17And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination of witchcraft and fortunetelling, and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger. 18Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them away from before His face; there was no one left but only the tribe of Judah. 19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of Jehovah their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they had made. 20And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them away from before His face. 21For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following after Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin. 22For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they have not departed from them, 23until Jehovah had removed Israel from before His face, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. Thus Israel was carried away from their own land into Assyria, as it is this day. 24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear Jehovah; therefore Jehovah sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the ordinances of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they do not know the ordinances of the God of the land. 27So the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you have brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land. 28Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah. 29However nation by nation they continued making gods of their own, and put them in the houses on the high places which those from Samaria had made, nation by nation in the cities where they were living. 30The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32So they feared Jehovah; and from among all of them they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who attended to the houses of the high places for them. 33They feared Jehovah, and also served their own gods; according to the manner of the nations from where they were carried away. 34To this day they continue doing according to the former manner; they do not fear Jehovah, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the Law and commandments which Jehovah has commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He had ordained with the name, Israel; 35with whom Jehovah had made a covenant and charged them, saying: You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36but Jehovah, who has brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, to Him you shall bow down, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandments which He has written for you, you shall take heed to do forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39But Jehovah your God you shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. 40However they have not obeyed, but are doing according to their former manner. 41Thus these nations feared Jehovah, while also serving their graven images. And their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers have done, even to this day.