< 2 Kings 17 >

1 In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda, Osee the son of Ela reigned in Samaria over Israel nine years.
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, began Hosea son of Elah to reign in Samaria, over Israel, [and he reigned] nine years.
2 And he did evil before the Lord: but not as the kings of Israel that had been before him.
And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, —only, not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 Against him came up Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, and Osee became his servant, and paid him tribute.
Against him, came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, —and Hoshea became his servant, and rendered him a present.
4 And when the king of the Assyrians found that Osee endeavouring to rebel had sent messengers to Sua the king of Egypt, that he might not pay tribute to the king of the Assyrians, as he had done every year, he besieged him, bound him, and cast him into prison,
Then found the king of Assyria, in Hosea, a conspiracy, in that he had sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and had not brought up a 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.
5 And he went through all the land: and going up to Samaria, he besieged it three years.
And the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, —yea he came up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 And in the ninth year of Osee, the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria: and he placed them in Hala and Habor by the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, did the king of Assyria capture Samaria, and carried Israel away captive to Assyria, —and settled them in Halah, and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and the mountains of Media.
7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and they worshipped strange gods.
And thus it came to pass that Israel sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, —yea they did reverence to other gods;
8 And they walked according to the way of the nations which the Lord had destroyed in the sight of the children of Israel and of the kings of Israel: because they had done in like manner.
and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom Yahweh had dispossessed from before the sons of Israel, —and [in the statutes] of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9 And the children of Israel offended the Lord their God with things that were not right: and built them high places in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
And the sons of Israel did, secretly, things which were not right, against Yahweh their God, —and built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the watchmen’s tower, to the fortified city.
10 And they made them statues and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree:
And they set up for themselves pillars and Sacred Stems, upon every high hill, and under every green tree;
11 And they burnt incense there upon altars after the manner of the nations which the Lord had removed from their face: and they did wicked things, provoking the Lord.
and burned incense there, in all the high places, like the nations whom Yahweh drave out from before them, —and did things that were wicked, so as to provoke Yahweh to anger;
12 And they worshipped abominations, concerning which the Lord had commanded them that they should not do this thing.
and they served the manufactured gods, as to which Yahweh had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.
13 And the Lord testified to them in Israel and in Juda by the hand of all the prophets and seers, saying: Return from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts, and ceremonies, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers: and as I have sent to you in the hand of my servants the prophets.
And Yahweh testified against Israel and against Judah, through all his prophets—every one who had a vision, saying—Turn ye from your wicked ways, and keep my commandments, my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers; and which I sent unto you through my servants the prophets.
14 And they hearkened not, but hardened their necks like to the neck of their fathers, who would not obey the Lord their God.
Howbeit they hearkened not, —but stiffened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who trusted not in Yahweh their God;
15 And they rejected his ordinances and the covenant that he made with their fathers, and the testimonies which he testified against them: and they followed vanities, and acted vainly: and they followed the nations that were round about them, concerning which the Lord had commanded them that they should not do as they did.
but rejected his statutes, and his covenant, which he solemnised with their fathers, and his testimonies wherewith he testified against them, —and followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were round about them, as to whom Yahweh charged them, so that they should not do like them.
16 And they forsook all the precepts of the Lord their God: and made to themselves two molten calves, and groves, and adored all the host of heaven: and they served Baal.
But they forsook all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made for themselves something molten—two calves, and made a Sacred Stem, and bowed themselves down to all the army of the heavens, and served Baal;
17 And consecrated their sons, and their daughters through fire: and they gave themselves to divinations, and soothsayings: and they delivered themselves up to do evil before the Lord, to provoke him.
and made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and used divinations and enchantments, and sold themselves to do the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to wrath.
18 And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from his sight, and there remained only the tribe of Juda.
So Yahweh shewed himself exceeding angry with Israel, and removed them from his presence, —there was none left, save the tribe of Judah, alone.
19 But neither did Juda itself keep the commandments of the Lord their God: but they walked in the errors of Israel, which they had wrought.
Even Judah, kept not the commandments of Yahweh their God, —but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they had made.
20 And the Lord cast off all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, till he cast them away from his face:
So Yahweh rejected all the seed of Israel, and humiliated them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, —until he had cast them out from his presence;
21 Even from that time, when Israel was rent from the house of David, and made Jeroboam son of Nabat their king: for Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and made them commit a great sin.
for he rent Israel away from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat, king, —and Jeroboam thrust away Israel from following Yahweh, and caused them to commit a great sin.
22 And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done: and they departed not from them,
And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he had committed, —they turned not away therefrom;
23 Till the Lord removed Israel from his face, as he had spoken in the hand of all his servants the prophets: and Israel was carried away out of their land to Assyria, unto this day.
until that Yahweh removed Israel from his presence, according as he spake through all his servants the prophets, —and so Israel was driven away from off their own soil, to Assyria, until this day.
24 And the king of the Assyrians brought people from Babylon, and from Cutha, and from Avah, and from Emath, and from Sepharvaim: and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
And the king of Assyria brought [men] from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avvah, and from Hamath, and [from] Sepharvaim, and caused them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, instead of the sons of Israel, —so they took possession of Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And when they began to dwell there, they feared not the Lord: and the Lord sent lions among them, which killed them.
And so it was, that, when they first dwelt there, they revered not Yahweh, —therefore Yahweh sent among them, lions, which were slaying them.
26 And it was told the king of the Assyrians, and it was said: The nations which thou hast removed, and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the ordinances of the God of the land: and the Lord hath sent lions among them: and behold they kill them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
Therefore spake they unto the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom thou hast removed and settled in the cities of Samaria, know not the custom of the God of the land, —and he hath sent among them lions, and lo! they are slaying them, because they know not the custom of the God of the land.
27 And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying: Carry thither one of the priests whom you brought from thence captive, and let him go, and dwell with them: and let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.
So the king of Assyria commanded, saying—Carry thither, one of the priests, whom ye brought away captive from thence, that they may go, and dwell there, —and teach them the custom of the God of the land.
28 So one of the priests who had been carried away captive from Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should worship the Lord.
Then came one of the priests whom they had carried away captive from Samaria, and dwelt in Bethel, —and he began teaching them how they should do reverence unto Yahweh.
29 And every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the temples of the high places, which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities where they dwelt.
Howbeit the nations severally were making their own gods, —and did put them in the houses of the high places, which, the Samaritans, had made, each several nation, in their cities wherein, they, were dwelling.
30 For the men of Babylon made Sochothbenoth: and the Cuthites made Nergel: and the men of Emath made Asima.
So then, the men of Babylon, made Succoth-benoth, and, the men of Cuth, made Nergal, and, the men of Hamath, made Ashima:
31 And the Hevites made Nebahaz and Tharthac. And they that were of Sepharvaim burnt their children in fire, to Adramelech and Anamelech the gods of Sepharvaim.
and, the Avvites, made Nibhaz and Tartak, and, the Sepharvites, did consume their sons in the fire, to Adrammelech and Anammelech gods of Sepharvaim.
32 And nevertheless they worshipped the Lord. And they made to themselves, of the lowest of the people, priests of the high places, and they placed them in the temples of the high places.
Thus became they reverers of Yahweh, —and yet made for themselves, from the whole compass of them, priests of high places, who became offerers for them in the house of the high places.
33 And when they worshipped the Lord, they served also their own gods according to the custom of the nations out of which they were brought to Samaria:
Yahweh, were they revering, —and yet, their own gods, were they serving, according to the custom of the nations from whence they had brought them away captive.
34 Unto this day they followed the old manner: they fear not the Lord, neither do they keep his ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and the commandment, which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he surnamed Israel:
Unto this day, are they offering according to the former customs, —they are not revering Yahweh, neither are they offering after their own statutes, or their own custom, nor yet after the law and the commandment which Yahweh commanded the sons of Jacob, whose name he made to be Israel:
35 With whom he made a covenant, and charged them, saying: You shall not fear strange gods, nor shall you adore them, nor worship them, nor sacrifice to them.
With, whom, Yahweh solemnised a covenant, and commanded them saying—Ye shall not revere other gods, —nor bow down to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;
36 But the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power, and a stretched out arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you adore, and to him shall you sacrifice.
But, Yahweh—who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, with great might, and with arm outstretched, him, shall ye revere, —and to him, shall ye bow down, and to him, shall ye sacrifice;
37 And the ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do them always: and you shall not fear strange gods.
And, the statutes and the regulations, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, shall ye surely observe to do, continually, —So shall ye not revere other gods;
38 And the covenant that he made with you, you shall not forget: neither shall ye worship strange gods,
But, the covenant which I have solemnised with you, shall ye not forget, —So shall ye not revere other gods;
39 But fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
But, Yahweh your God, shall ye revere, —then will, he, deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 But they did not hearken, but did according to their old custom.
Howbeit they hearkened not, —but, according to their own former custom, were they offering.
41 So these nations feared the Lord, but nevertheless served also their idols: their children also and grandchildren, as their fathers did, so do they unto this day.
Thus were these nations doing reverence unto Yahweh, and yet, unto their own carved images, were they rendering service, —yea, their sons and their son’s sons, as the fathers offered, so are, they, offering until this day.

< 2 Kings 17 >