Hoshea Last King of Israel
1
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king
of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.
2
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD,
but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3
Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been
Shalmaneser's vassal and had paid him tribute.
4
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor,
for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute
to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year.
Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.
5
The king of Assyria invaded the entire land,
marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years.
6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria
and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan
on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
Israel Exiled Because of Sin
7
All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God,
who had brought them out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king
of Egypt. They worshiped other gods.
8
and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them,
as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.
9
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right.
From watchtower to fortifiedcity they built themselves high places in all their towns.
10
They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every
spreading tree.
11
At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD
had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that p[rovoked
the LORD to anger.
12
They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, "You shall not do this."
13
The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:
"Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance
with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey
and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets."
14
But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers,
who did not trust in the LORD their God.
15
They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers
and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and
themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them
although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do,"
and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do.
16
They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for
themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole.
They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.
17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire.
They practiced divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil
in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
18
So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.
Only the tribe of Judah was left,
19
and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God.
They followed the practices Israel had introduced.
20
Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel;
he aflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,
until he thrust them from his presence.
21
When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam
son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following
the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
22
The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them
23
until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through
all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from
their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
Samaria Resettled
24
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath
and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace
the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.
25
When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD;
so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.
26
It was reported to the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled
in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires.
He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off,
because the peole do not know what he requires."
27
Then the king of Assyria gave this order:
"Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there
and teach the people what the god of the land requires."
28
So one of the priests whohad been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel
and taught them how to worship the LORD.
29
Nevertheless, each national group made its own god in the several towns
where they settled, and set them up in the shrines
the people of Samaria had made at the high places.
30
The men from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men from Cuthah made Nergal,
and the men from Hamath made Ashima;
31
the Avvites made Nibbaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children
in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32
They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people
to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.
33
They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance
with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
34
To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship
the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands
that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
35
When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them:
"Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them,
serve them or sacrifice to them.
36
But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power
and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship.
To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.
37
You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances,
the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
38
Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.
39
Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you
from the hand of all your enemies."
40
They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.
41
Even while rgese people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols.
To this day their children and grandchildren contine to do as their fathers did.
