2 Kings 17
The Fall of Samaria
and the Captivity of Israel |
1 |
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah
began Hoshe'a the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine
years.
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2 |
And he did that which was evil in
the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of
Israel that were before him.
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3 |
Against him came up Shalmane'ser king of
Assyria; and Hoshe'a became his servant, and gave him
presents.
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4 |
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy
in Hoshe'a: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and
brought no 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.
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5 |
Then the king of Assyria came up
throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it
three years.
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6 |
In the ninth year of Hoshe'a the king of
Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and
placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and
in the cities of the Medes.
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7 |
For so it was, that the children
of Israel had sinned against the LORD their
God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under
the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other
gods,
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8 |
and walked in the statutes of the
heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the
children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had
made.
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9 |
And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all
their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced
city.
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10 |
And they set them up images and groves in
every high hill, and under every green tree: 1 Kgs. 14.23
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11 |
and there they burnt incense in all the
high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked
things to provoke the LORD to anger:
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12 |
for they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this
thing.
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13 |
Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways,
and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all
the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by
my servants the prophets.
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14 |
Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but
hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did
not believe in the LORD their God.
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15 |
And they rejected his statutes, and his
covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which
he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became
vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged
them, that they should not do like them.
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16 |
And they left all the commandments of the
LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, 1 Kgs. 12.28 and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and
served Ba'al.
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17 |
And they caused their sons and their
daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and
enchantments, Deut. 18.10 and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
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18 |
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there
was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
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19 |
Also Judah kept not the commandments of
the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes
of Israel which they made.
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20 |
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.
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21 |
For he rent Israel from the house of
David; and they made Jerobo'am the son of Nebat king: and Jerobo'am
drave Israel from following the LORD, and made
them sin a great sin.
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22 |
For the children of Israel walked in all
the sins of Jerobo'am which he did; they departed not from
them;
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23 |
until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants
the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to
Assyria unto this day.
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The Repopulation of
Samaria |
24 |
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from
Hamath, and from Sepharva'im, and placed them in the cities
of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed
Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
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25 |
And so it was at the beginning of
their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent
lions among them, which slew some of them.
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26 |
Wherefore they spake to the king of
Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in
the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land:
therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay
them, because they know not the manner of the God of the
land.
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27 |
Then the king of Assyria commanded,
saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from
thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the
manner of the God of the land.
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28 |
Then one of the priests whom they had
carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them
how they should fear the LORD.
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29 |
Howbeit 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 wherein they
dwelt.
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30 |
And the men of Babylon made
Suc'coth-be'noth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of
Hamath made Ashi'ma,
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31 |
and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak,
and the Seph'arvites burnt their children in fire to Adram'melech
and Anam'melech, the gods of Sepharva'im.
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32 |
So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them
priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses
of the high places.
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33 |
They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of
the nations whom they carried away from thence.
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34 |
Unto this day they do after the former
manners. They fear not the LORD, neither do
they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the
law and commandment which the LORD commanded
the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; Gen. 32.28 ; 35.10
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35 |
with whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear
other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor
sacrifice to them: Ex. 20.5 · Deut. 5.9
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36 |
but the LORD, who
brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a
stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, Deut. 6.13 and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do
sacrifice.
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37 |
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and
the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall
observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other
gods.
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38 |
And the covenant that I have made with
you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
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39 |
But the LORD your
God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all
your enemies.
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40 |
Howbeit they did not hearken, but they
did after their former manner.
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41 |
So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their
children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do
they unto this day.
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