2 Kings 17:1-13 ▼

1 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.

2 He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.

4 But the king of Assyria caught Hoshea in a conspiracy: He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt and had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.

5 The king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, along the Habor (Gozan’s river), and in the cities of the Medes.

7 This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the LORD their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods.

8 They lived according to the customs of the nations that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites and according to what the kings of Israel did.

9 The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city.

10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 They burned incense there on all the high places just like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did evil things, angering the LORD.

12 They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You must not do this.”

13 Still, the LORD warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through my servants the prophets.”