2 Kings 17
1 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.
In the twelfth year of Ahaz, the king of Judah: Hoshea, the son of Elah, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, for nine years.
2 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, —only, not like the kings of Israel who were before him.
And he did evil before the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who had been before him.
3 Against him, came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, —and Hoshea became his servant, and rendered him a present.
Shalmaneser, the king of the Assyrians, ascended against him. And Hoshea became a servant to him, and he paid him tribute.
4 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.
And when the king of the Assyrians discovered that Hoshea, striving to rebel, had sent messengers to Sais, to the king of Egypt, so as not to present the tribute to the king of the Assyrians, as he had been accustomed to do each year, he besieged him. And having been bound, he cast him into prison.
5 And the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, —yea he came up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
And he wandered through the entire land. And ascending to Samaria, he besieged it for three years.
6 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.
And in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of the Assyrians captured Samaria, and he carried away Israel to Assyria. And he stationed them in Halah and in Habor, beside the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes.
7 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;
For it happened that, when the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord, their God, who had led them away from the land of Egypt, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, they worshipped strange gods.
8 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.
And they walked according to the rituals of the nations that the Lord had consumed in the sight of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel. For they had acted similarly.
9 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.
And the sons of Israel offended the Lord, their God, with deeds that were not upright. And they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
10 And they set up for themselves pillars and Sacred Stems, upon every high hill, and under every green tree;
And they made for themselves statues and sacred groves, on every high hill and under every leafy tree.
11 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;
And they were burning incense there, upon altars, in the manner of the nations that the Lord had removed from their face. And they did wicked deeds, provoking the Lord.
12 and they served the manufactured gods, as to which Yahweh had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.
And they worshipped impurities, concerning which the Lord instructed them that they should not do this word.
13 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.
And the Lord testified to them, in Israel and in Judah, through the hand of all the prophets and seers, saying: “Return from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts and ceremonies, in accord with the entire law, which I instructed to your fathers, and just as I sent to you by the hand of my servants, the prophets.”
14 Howbeit they hearkened not, —but stiffened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who trusted not in Yahweh their God;
But they did not listen. Instead, they hardened their necks to be like the neck of their fathers, who were not willing to obey the Lord, their God.
15 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.
And they cast aside his ordinances, and the covenant that he formed with their fathers, and the testimonies which he testified to them. And they pursued vanities and acted vainly. And they followed the nations that were all around them, concerning the things which the Lord had commanded them not to do, and which they did.
16 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;
And they abandoned all the precepts of the Lord, their God. And they made for themselves two molten calves and sacred groves. And they adored the entire celestial army. And they served Baal.
17 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.
And they consecrated their sons and their daughters through fire. And they devoted themselves to divinations and soothsaying. And they delivered themselves into the doing of evil before the Lord, so that they provoked him.
18 So Yahweh shewed himself exceeding angry with Israel, and removed them from his presence, —there was none left, save the tribe of Judah, alone.
And the Lord became vehemently angry with Israel, and he took them away from his sight. And there remained no one, except the tribe of Judah alone.
19 Even Judah, kept not the commandments of Yahweh their God, —but walked in the statutes of Israel, which they had made.
But even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord, their God. Instead, they walked in the errors of Israel, which they had wrought.
20 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;
And the Lord cast aside all of the offspring of Israel. And he afflicted them, and he delivered them into the hand of despoilers, until he drove them away from his face,
21 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.
even from that time when Israel was torn away from the house of David, and they appointed for themselves Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, as king. For Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and he caused them to sin a great sin.
22 And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he had committed, —they turned not away therefrom;
And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam, which he had done. And they did not withdraw from these,
23 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.
even when the Lord carried away Israel from his face, just as he had said by the hand of all his servants, the prophets. And Israel was carried away from their land into Assyria, even to this day.
24 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.
Then the king of the Assyrians brought some from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim. And he located them in the cities of Samaria, in place of the sons of Israel. And they possessed Samaria, and they lived in its cities.
25 And so it was, that, when they first dwelt there, they revered not Yahweh, —therefore Yahweh sent among them, lions, which were slaying them.
And when they had begun to live there, they did not fear the Lord. And the Lord sent lions among them, which were killing them.
26 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.
And this was reported to the king of the Assyrians, and it was said: “The peoples that you transferred and caused to live in the cities of Samaria, they are ignorant of the ordinances of the God of the land. And so the Lord has sent lions among them. And behold, they have killed them, because they were ignorant of the rituals of the God of the land.”
27 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.
Then the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying: “Lead to that place one of the priests, whom you brought as a captive from there. And let him go and live with them. And let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.”
28 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.
And so, when one of the priests, who had been led away captive from Samaria, had arrived, he lived in Bethel. And he taught them how they should worship the Lord.
29 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.
And each of the nations made gods of their own, and they placed them in the shrines of the high places, which the Samaritans had made: nation after nation, in their cities in which they were living.
30 So then, the men of Babylon, made Succoth-benoth, and, the men of Cuth, made Nergal, and, the men of Hamath, made Ashima:
So the men of Babylon made Soccoth-benoth; and the men of Cuth made Nergal; and the men of Hamath made Ashima;
31 and, the Avvites, made Nibhaz and Tartak, and, the Sepharvites, did consume their sons in the fire, to Adrammelech and Anammelech gods of Sepharvaim.
and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak. Then those who were from Sepharvaim burned up their children with fire, for the gods of Sepharvaim: Adram-melech and Anam-melech.
32 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.
But nevertheless, they worshipped the Lord. Then they made for themselves, from the least of the people, priests of the high places. And they placed them in the shrines of the high places.
33 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.
And though they worshipped the Lord, they also served their own gods, according to the custom of the nations from which they had been transferred into Samaria.
34 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:
Even to the present day, they follow the ancient customs; they do not fear the Lord, and they do not keep his ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and commandment, which the Lord had instructed to the sons of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
35 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;
And he had struck a covenant with them, and he had commanded them, saying: “You shall not fear foreign gods, and you shall not adore them, and you shall not worship them, and you shall not sacrifice to them.
36 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;
But the Lord, your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, with great strength and with an outstretched arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you adore, and to him shall you sacrifice.
37 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;
Also, the ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall keep so that you do them for all days. And you shall not fear strange gods.
38 But, the covenant which I have solemnised with you, shall ye not forget, —So shall ye not revere other gods;
And the covenant, which he struck with you, you shall not forget; neither shall you worship strange gods.
39 But, Yahweh your God, shall ye revere, —then will, he, deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
But you shall fear the Lord, your God. And he will rescue you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40 Howbeit they hearkened not, —but, according to their own former custom, were they offering.
Yet truly, they did not listen to this. Instead, they acted in accord with their earlier custom.
41 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.
And such were these nations: to some extent fearing the Lord, yet nevertheless also serving their idols. As for their sons and grandsons, just as their fathers acted, so also did they act, even to the present day.
