Hoshea the Last King of Israel

1In the twelft yeere of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the sonne of Elah to reigne in Samaria ouer Israel, and reigned nine yeeres. 2And he did euill in the sight of the Lorde, but not as the Kinges of Israel, that were before him. 3And Shalmaneser king of Asshur came vp against him, and Hoshea became his seruant, and gaue him presents. 4And the King of Asshur founde treason in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So King of Egypt, and brought no present vnto the King of Asshur, as he had done yeerely: therfore the king of Asshur shut him vp, and put him in prison.

Israel Carried Captive to Assyria

5Then the king of Asshur came vp throughout all the lande, and went against Samaria, and besieged it three yeere.

6In the ninth yeere of Hoshea, the King of Asshur tooke Samaria, and caryed Israel away vnto Asshur, and put them in Halah, and in Habor by the riuer of Gozan, & in the cities of the Medes.

7For when the children of Israel sinned against the Lorde their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, fro vnder ye hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, & feared other gods, 8And walked according to the facions of the Heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel, and after the maners of the Kings of Israel, which they vsed, 9And the children of Israel had done secretly things that were not vpright before the Lorde their God, & throughout all their cities had built hie places, both from the tower of the watch, to the defensed citie, 10And had made them images and groues vpon euery hie hill, and vnder euery greene tree, 11And there burnt incense in all the hie places, as did the heathen, whom the Lord had taken away before them, and wrought wicked things to anger the Lord, 12And serued idoles: whereof the Lorde had sayd vnto them, Ye shal do no such thing, 13Notwithstanding the Lord testified to Israel, and to Iudah by all the Prophets, & by all the Seers, saying, Turne from your euill wayes, and keepe my commandements & my statutes, according to all the Lawe, which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my seruants the Prophets. 14Neuerthelesse they would not obey, but hardened their neckes, like to the neckes of their fathers, that did not beleeue in the Lorde their God. 15And they refused his statutes and his couenant, that he made with their fathers, & his testimonies (wherewith he witnessed vnto them) and they followed vanitie, and became vaine, and followed the heathen that were round about them: concerning whome the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. 16Finally they left all the commaundements of the Lorde their God, and made them molten images, euen two calues, and made a groue, and worshipped all the hoste of heauen, and serued Baal. 17And they made their sonnes and their daughters passe thorowe the fire, and vsed witchcraft and inchantments, yea, solde them selues to doe euill in the sight of the Lord, to anger him. 18Therefore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel, and put them out of his sight, and none was left but the tribe of Iudah onely.

19Yet Iudah kept not the commandements of the Lord their God, but walked according to the facion of Israel, which they vsed. 20Therefore the Lorde cast off all the seede of Israel, and afflicted them, and deliuered them into the handes of spoylers, vntill he had cast them out of his sight.

21For he cut off Israel from the house of Dauid, and they made Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat King: and Ieroboam drewe Israel away from following the Lorde, and made them sinne a great sinne. 22For the children of Israel walked in all the sinnes of Ieroboam, which he did, and departed not therefrom, 23Vntill the Lord put Israel away out of his sight, as he had said by all his seruants the Prophets, and caryed Israel away out of their land to Asshur vnto this day.

Samaria Resettled

24And the King of Asshur brought folke from Babel, and from Cuthah, and from Aua, and from Hamath, and from Sepharuaim, & placed them in the cities of Samaria in steade of the children of Israel: so they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. 25And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slewe them. 26Wherefore they spake to the King of Asshur, saying, The nations which thou hast remoued, and placed in the cities of Samaria, knowe not the maner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them, because they knowe not the maner of the God of the land.

27Then the King of Asshur commaunded, saying, Carie thither one of the Priestes whome ye brought thence, and let him goe and dwell there, and teache them the maner of the God of the countrey. 28So one of the Priestes, which they had caryed from Samaria, came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they shoulde feare the Lorde.

29Howbeit euery nation made their gods, & put them in the houses of the hie places, which the Samaritanes had made, euery nation in their cities, wherein they dwelt. 30For the men of Babel made Succoth-Benoth: and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31And the Auims made Nibhaz, and Tartak: and the Sepharuims burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech, and Anammelech the gods of Sepharuaim. 32Thus they feared the Lorde, and appoynted out Priestes out of them selues for the hie places, who prepared for them sacrifices in the houses of the hie places. 33They feared the Lord, but serued their gods after the maner of the nations whome they caryed thence.

34Vnto this day they doe after the olde maner: they neyther feare God, neyther doe after their ordinances, nor after their customes, nor after the Lawe, nor after the commaundement, which the Lord commanded the children of Iaakob, whom he named Israel, 35And with whom the Lord had made a couenant, and charged them, saying, Feare none other gods, nor bowe your selues to them, nor serue them, nor sacrifice to them: 36But feare the Lorde which brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power, and a stretched out arme: him feare ye, and worshippe him, and sacrifice to him. 37Also keepe ye diligently the statutes and the ordinances, and the Lawe, and the commandement, which he wrote for you, that ye do them continually, and feare not other gods. 38And forget not the couenant that I haue made with you, neither feare ye other gods, 39But feare the Lord your God, and he will deliuer you out of the handes of all your enemies. 40Howbeit they obeyed not, but did after their olde custome. 41So these nations feared the Lord, and serued their images also: so did their children, and their childrens children: as did their fathers, so do they vnto this day.