2 Kings 17:1-13 ▼

1 In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda began Osee the son of Ela to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

2 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

3 Against him came up Salamanassar king of the Assyrians; and Osee became his servant, and rendered him tribute.

4 And the king of the Assyrians found iniquity in Osee, in that he sent messengers to Segor king of Egypt, and brought not a tribute to the king of the Assyrians in that year: and the king of the Assyrians besieged him, and bound him in the prison-house.

5 And the king of the Assyrians went up against all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.

6 In the ninth year of Osee the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to the Assyrians, and settled them in Alae, and in Abor, near the rivers of Gozan, and in the mountains of the Medes.

7 For it came to pass that the children of Israel had transgressed against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and they feared other gods,

8 and walked in the statutes of the nations which the Lord cast out before the face of the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel as many as did such things ,

9 and in those of the children of Israel as many as secretly practised customs, not as they should have done , against the Lord their God:

10 and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. And they made for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree.

11 And burned incense there on all high places, as the nations did whom the Lord removed from before them, and dealt with familiar spirits, and they carved images to provoke the Lord to anger.

12 And they served the idols, of which the Lord said to them, Ye shall not do this thing against the Lord.

13 And the Lord testified against Israel and against Juda, even by the hand of all his prophets, and of every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my ordinances, and all the law which I commanded your fathers, and all that I sent to them by the hand of my servants the prophets.