2 Kings 17:21-41 ▼

21 For the house of Israel had seceded from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king over themselves; and Jeroboam caused Israel to go astray from following the LORD, and made them sin great sins.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them

23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had declared by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their land to Assyria, where they are to this day.

24 And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon and from Cuth and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not reverence the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions against them, which slew some of them.

26 Therefore they told the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you have carried captive and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the religion of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions against them, and, behold, they slay them because they do not know the religion of the god of the land.

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Take there one of the priests whom you have carried away from there; and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the religion of the god of the land.

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 worship the LORD.

29 Nevertheless every nation served gods of their own, and put them in the houses of idols which had been made in Samaria, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

30 And the men of Babylon served Succoth-benoth and the men of Cuth served Nergal and the men of Hamath served Ashima,

31 And the Avites served Jibzah and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Ardammeleck and Amalek, the gods of Sepharvim.

32 So they worshipped the LORD, and made for themselves of their own people priests of the high places, who served for them in the houses of idols on the high places.

33 They worshipped the LORD and served their own gods after the manner of the nations. So the children of Israel were carried away out of their land

34 To this day, because they forsook the LORD and did according to the manner of the nations; they do not revere the LORD, neither do they according to the covenant or according to the ordinance or according to the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, You shall not revere other gods nor worship them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;

36 But you must serve the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, him shall you serve and him shall you worship and to him shall you sacrifice.

37 And the covenants and the ordinances and the laws and the commandments which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do for evermore; and you shall not revere other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget; neither shall you worship the gods of the Gentiles.

39 But the LORD your God you shall worship; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

40 However they did not hearken, but they did according to their former customs.

41 So these nations also who dwelt in Samaria worshipped the LORD and served their graven images, also their children and their children's children; as did their fathers, so do they to this day.