2Kings:17

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* In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign over Israel in Samaria , nine years . * And he did evil in the sight of the LORD , but not like the kings of Israel who were before him . * Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him . And Hoshea became his servant and gave him taxes . * And the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea , for he had sent messengers to So , king of Egypt , and had brought no taxes to the king of Assyria , as before , year by year . And the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison . * And the king of Assyria went up into all the land . And he went up to Samaria and besieged it three years . * In the ninth year of Hoshea , the king of Assyria took Samaria , and carried Israel away into Assyria . And he placed them in Halah , and in Habor [by ] the river Gozan , and in the cities of the Medes . * And it happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God , who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt , from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt , and had feared other gods , * and walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the sons of Israel , and of the kings of Israel , which the nations had made . * And the sons of Israel secretly did things that [were ] not right against the LORD their God . And they built high places in all their cities for themselves , from the Watch Tower to the fortified city . * And they set up images and Asherahs for themselves in every high hill , and under every green tree . * And they burned incense in all the high places , like the nations whom the LORD had removed from before them ; and did evil things to provoke the LORD to anger . * For they served the idols , of which the LORD had said to them , You shall not do this thing . * And the LORD testified against Israel , and against Judah , by all the prophets , [by ] all the seers , saying , Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments , My statutes , according to all the law which I commanded your fathers , and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets . * But they would not hear , but hardened their necks , like the neck of their fathers who did not believe in the LORD their God . * And [they ] rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers , and His testimonies which He testified against them . And they went after the vain thing , and became vain , and after the nations around them , concerning whom the LORD had charged them not to do like them . * And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God , and made molten images , two calves , for themselves . And they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven , and served Baal . * And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire . And they used divination and incantations , and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD , to provoke Him to anger . * So the LORD was very angry with Israel , and turned them away from His face ; not one was left , only the tribe of Judah by itself . * Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God , but walked in the statutes which Israel made . * 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 . * For He tore Israel from the house of David . And they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king . And Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD , and made them sin a great sin . * For the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did . They did not depart from them * until the LORD turned away Israel from His face , as He had said by all His servants the prophets . So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria until this day . * 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 sons of Israel . And they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities . * And it happened at the beginning of their dwelling there , that they did not fear Jehovah . And Jehovah sent lions among them , who killed them . * And they spoke to the king of Assyria , saying , The nations which you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the manner of the God of the land . And He has sent lions among them , and , behold , they kill them because they do not know the way of the God of the land . * And the king of Assyria commanded , saying , Cause one of the priests whom you removed from there to go there . And they shall go and live there , and he shall teach them the way of the God of the land . * And one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria came and lived in Bethel . And he taught them how they should fear the LORD . * And 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 lived . * And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth , and the men of Cuth made Nergal , and the men of Hamath made Ashima , * and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak , and the Sepharvites burned their sons with fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim . * 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 . * They feared the LORD and served their own gods , according to the custom of the nations whom they removed from there . * Until this day they do according to their former ways . They do not fear the LORD , neither do they do according to their statutes , or according to their ordinances , or according to the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob , whom He named Israel . * And the LORD had made a covenant and charged them , saying , You shall not fear other gods , nor bow yourselves to them , nor serve them , nor sacrifice to them , * but the LORD , who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched-out arm , you shall fear Him , and you shall worship Him , and you shall do sacrifice to Him . * And the statutes , and the ordinances , and the law , and the commandment , which He wrote for you , you shall be careful to do forever . And you shall not fear other gods . * And the covenant that I have made with you , you shall not forget , and you shall not fear other gods . * And you shall fear the LORD your God . And He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies . * But they did not listen , but they followed after their former way . * And it happened , these nations feared the LORD , and they served their graven images , both their sons and their sons ' sons , as their fathers did , they do until this day .

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