Hoshea the Last King of Israel

1In the twelfth yere of Ahaz king of Iuda, began Hosea the sonne of Elah to raigne in Samaria vpon Israel nine yeres: 2And did that which was euill in the sight of the Lorde, but not as the kinges of Israel that were before him. 3And Salmanasar king of Assyria came vp against him, and Hosea became his seruaunt, and gaue him presentes. 4And the king of Assyria founde treason in Hosea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present vnto the king of Assyria from yere to yere: and therefore the king of Assyria shut him vp, and bounde him in the pryson house.

Israel Carried Captive to Assyria

5And then the king of Assyria came vp throughout all the lande, and gat vp against Samaria, and besieged it three yeres.

6In the ninth yere of Hosea, the king of Assyria toke Samaria, and carryed Israel away vnto Assyria, & put them in Hala & in Habor by the ryuer of Goza and in the cities of the Medes.

7For it came to passe, that the children of Israel sinned against the Lord their God which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from vnder the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and feared other gods. 8And they walked in the ceremonies of the heathen whom the Lorde cast out before the children of Israel, and in the ceremonies which the kinges of Israel had made: 9And the children of Israel went about to hide those thinges that were not wel from the Lorde their God: And they buylt them hygh places in all their cities, both in the towres where they kept watch, and also in the strong townes: 10And they made the images & groues in euery hye hill, & vnder euery thicke tree. 11And there they burnt incense in all the hygh places, as did the heathen whom the Lord caryed away before them, and wrought wicked thinges to anger the Lorde withall: 12For they serued most vile idols, wherof the Lorde had sayd vnto them: Ye shall do no such thing. 13And the Lorde testified in Israel and in Iuda by all the prophetes and by all the sears, saying: Turne from your wicked wayes, and kepe my commaundementes and my statutes, according to all the law which I commaunded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my seruauntes the prophetes. 14Nothwithstanding they woulde not heare, but rather hardened their neckes, lyke to the stubburnesse of their fathers, that dyd not beleue in the Lorde their God. 15For they refused his statutes, and his appoyntment that he made with their fathers, and the witnesses wherwith he witnessed vnto them, and they folowed vanitie, and became vayne, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lorde had charged them that they shoulde not do lyke them. 16But they left al the commaundemetes of the Lord their God, and made them images of metal, euen two calues, and made idol groues, & worshipped all the hoast of heauen, and serued Baal. 17And they sacrificed their sonnes and their daughters in fire, and vsed witchcraftes, & enchauntmentes, euen selling them selues to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and to anger him. 18And the Lorde was exceeding wroth with Israel, & put them out of his sight, that there was left but the tribe of Iuda onely.

19Neuerthelesse, Iuda also kept not the commaundementes of the Lorde their God, but walked in the ceremonies of Israel whiche they made. 20And the Lord cast of all the seede of Israel, and vexed them, & deliuered them into the handes of spoylers, vntil he had rast them out of his sight.

21For he cut of Israel from the house of Dauid, and made them a king, euen Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat: And Ieroboam drewe Israel away that they shoulde not folowe the Lorde, and made them sinne a great sinne. 22For the children of Israel walked in all the sinnes of Ieroboam whiche he dyd, and departed not therfrom, 23Untill the Lord put Israel away out of his sight, as he had sayd by all his seruauntes the prophetes: And so was Israel caried away out of their owne land to Assyria euen vnto this day.

Samaria Resettled

24And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, from Cutha, fro Aua, from Hamath, and from Sepharuaim, and put them in the cities of Samaria in steede of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities therof. 25And it fortuned, that at the beginning of their dwelling there, they feared not the Lorde, and the Lorde sent lions among them, which slue them. 26Wherfore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying: The nations which thou hast translated & put in the cities of Samaria knowe not the lawe of the God of the lande: therefore he hath sent lions vpon them, and behold they slay them, because they knowe not the maner of worshipping the God of the lande.

27Then the king of Assyria commaunded, saying: Cary thyther one of the priestes whom ye brought thence, and let hym go and dwell there, and teache them the fashion how to serue the God of the countrey. 28And then one of the priestes whom they had caried from Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them howe they shoulde feare the Lorde.

29Howebeit euery nation made them gods of their owne, and put them in the houses of the hygh places whiche the Samaritans had made, euery nation in their cities wherin they dwelt. 30The men of Babylon made Socoth Benoth, & the men of Cuth made Nergal, & the men of Hamath made Asima, 31The Auites made Nibbaz and Tharthak: And the Sepharuites burnt their children in fire for Adramelech and Anamelech, the gods of Sepharuaim. 32And so they feared the Lorde, & made them priestes of the basist of them, which sacrifised for them in the houses of the hygh places. 33And so they feared the Lord, and serued their owne gods, after the maner of the people whom they caryed thence.

34And vnto this day they do after the olde maner: and neither feare God, neither do after their ordinaunces and customes, and after the lawe & commaundement which the Lorde commaunded the children of Iacob, whom he called Israel. 35And the Lorde made an appoyntment with them, 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 whiche brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power & a stretched out arme, him feare, and to him bow, and to him do sacrifice. 37The statutes, ordinaunces, lawe and commaundement whiche he wrote for you, see that ye be diligent to do for euermore, and feare not any other gods. 38And the appoyntment that I haue made with you see ye forget not, and feare none other gods: 39But the Lord your God ye shal feare, & he shall deliuer you out of the handes of all your enemies. 40Howebeit, they dyd not hearken, but did after their olde custome. 41And so these nations feared the Lord, and serued their images also, like as did their children and their childrens children: Euen as dyd their fathers, so do they vnto this day.