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.
Hoshea, son of Elah, became king of Israel, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He reigned 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.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not in the same way the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 Against him, came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, —and Hoshea became his servant, and rendered him a present.
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came and attacked him, and Hoshea submitted to him and 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.
But then the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was being disloyal. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, asking for help, and he also had stopped sending annual tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done previously. So the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
5 And the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, —yea he came up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole country, and attacked Samaria, besieging 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.
In the ninth year of the reign 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.
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;
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, the one who had led them out of Egypt, saving them from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They had worshiped other 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.
adopting the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites, and the pagan practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
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.
Secretly the Israelites did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified cities.
10 And they set up for themselves pillars and Sacred Stems, upon every high hill, and under every green tree;
They set up pagan stone pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green 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;
They offered sacrifices on all the high places, just like the nations the Lord drove out before them. They did evil things, angering the Lord.
12 and they served the manufactured gods, as to which Yahweh had said to them, Ye shall not do this thing.
They worshiped idols, even though the Lord had told them, “You are not to do this.”
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.
Yet the Lord had warned Israel and Judah repeatedly through all his prophets and seers, saying, “Leave your wicked ways and keep my commandments and instructions. Follow the whole law that I ordered your forefathers to obey, and gave to you through 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 refused listen, and they were as stubborn as their forefathers who did not trust 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.
They gave up on his regulations and the covenant he had made with their forefathers, as well as the decrees he had given them. They followed pointless idols and they became pointless themselves, copying the nations around them that the Lord ordered them not to copy.
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;
They ignored all the commandments of the Lord their God, and they made themselves two metal idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down in worship to the sun, moon, and stars and 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.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters as pagan burnt offerings, and practiced fortune-telling and witchcraft. They gave themselves over to doing what was evil in the Lord's sight, making him angry.
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.
So the Lord was extremely angry with Israel, and he banished them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,
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, but followed the idolatry that Israel had introduced.
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;
The Lord gave up on all the descendants of Israel. He punished them and handed them over to their enemies, until he had banished them from his presence.
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.
When the Lord ripped Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from the Lord and made them commit terrible sins.
22 And the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he had committed, —they turned not away therefrom;
The Israelites continued to practice all the sins that Jeroboam committed. They did not stop doing them,
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.
so the Lord eventually expelled them from his presence, just as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the Israelites were deported from their land and taken to Assyria, where they are 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.
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took over ownership of Samaria and lived in its towns.
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.
When they first started living there they did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions there among them, killing some of 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.
The king of Assyria was told, “The peoples that you brought and settled in the towns of Samaria they don't not know the rules of the God of the land. As a result, he has sent lions among them, which are killing them off because they don't know what the God of the land requires.”
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.
The king of Assyria gave the order: “Send back one of the priests you deported from Samaria, and let him go back and live there and teach the rules 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.
So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned to live in Bethel, and taught them how to 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.
But the people of the different nations went on making their own gods in the towns where they had settled, and they placed them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.
30 So then, the men of Babylon, made Succoth-benoth, and, the men of Cuth, made Nergal, and, the men of Hamath, made Ashima:
Those from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from 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.
The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
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.
While they worshiped the Lord, they also appointed priests from all kinds of their own people to offer sacrifices for 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.
So even though they worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their own gods following the practices of the nations they had come from.
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 this day they are still following their former practices. None of them truly worship the Lord or observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments that the Lord gave to the descendants of Jacob, the one 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;
For the Lord had made an agreement with the Israelites, ordering them, “Don't worship other gods or bow down to them; don't serve them or offer sacrifices 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;
You must worship only the Lord, who led you out of Egypt, helping you with his great power and strong arm. Only bow down to him; only offer sacrifices to him.
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;
Always pay attention to observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments he gave you in writing, and don't worship other gods.
38 But, the covenant which I have solemnised with you, shall ye not forget, —So shall ye not revere other gods;
Don't forget the agreement I have made with you, and don't worship other gods.
39 But, Yahweh your God, shall ye revere, —then will, he, deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
You must worship only the Lord your God, and he will save you from all your enemies.”
40 Howbeit they hearkened not, —but, according to their own former custom, were they offering.
But they refused to listen, and continued their former idolatrous practices.
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.
Even while these people from different nations were worshiping the Lord, they were actually worshiping their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue to do as their forefathers did to this day.
