| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years. | 1In the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for nine years. |
| 2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. | 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him. |
| 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. | 3King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute. |
| 4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison. | 4The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt. Hoshea had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him. |
| 5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. | 5The king of Assyria marched through the whole land. He attacked Samaria and besieged it for three years. |
| 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. | 6In the ninth year of Hoshea's reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes. |
| 7All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods | 7This happened because the Israelites sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods; |
| 8and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. | 8they observed the practices of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before Israel, and followed the example of the kings of Israel. |
| 9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. | 9The Israelites said things about the LORD their God that were not right. They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress. |
| 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. | 10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. |
| 11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger. | 11They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the LORD had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the LORD angry. |
| 12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.” | 12They worshiped the disgusting idols in blatant disregard of the LORD's command. |
| 13Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” | 13The LORD solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers, "Turn back from your evil ways; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law. I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands." |
| 14But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. | 14But they did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had not trusted the LORD their God. |
| 15They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. | 15They rejected his rules, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the laws he had commanded them to obey. They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to the LORD. They copied the practices of the surrounding nations in blatant disregard of the LORD's command. |
| 16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. | 16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, and worshiped Baal. |
| 17They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. | 17They passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD and made him angry. |
| 18So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, | 18So the LORD was furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left. |
| 19and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. | 19Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the LORD their God; they followed Israel's example. |
| 20So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence. | 20So the LORD rejected all of Israel's descendants; he humiliated them and handed them over to robbers, until he had thrown them from his presence. |
| 21When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. | 21He tore Israel away from David's dynasty, and Jeroboam son of Nebat became their king. Jeroboam drove Israel away from the LORD and encouraged them to commit a serious sin. |
| 22The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. | 22The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and did not repudiate them. |
| 23Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day. | 23Finally the LORD rejected Israel just as he had warned he would do through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day. |
| 24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. | 24The king of Assyria brought foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. |
| 25Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. | 25When they first moved in, they did not worship the LORD. So the LORD sent lions among them and the lions were killing them. |
| 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.” | 26The king of Assyria was told, "The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land." |
| 27Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.” | 27So the king of Assyria ordered, "Take back one of the priests whom you deported from there. He must settle there and teach them the requirements of the God of the land." |
| 28Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD. | 28So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. He taught them how to worship the LORD. |
| 29Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places. | 29But each of these nations made its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria had made. Each nation did this in the cities where they lived. |
| 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, | 30The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the people from Cuth made Nergal, the people from Hamath made Ashima, |
| 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim. | 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. |
| 32So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places. | 32At the same time they worshiped the LORD. They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on the high places. |
| 33They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away. | 33They were worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which they had been deported. |
| 34To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel. | 34To this very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship the LORD; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed Israel. |
| 35For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. | 35The LORD made an agreement with them and instructed them, "You must not worship other gods. Do not bow down to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices to them. |
| 36Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. | 36Instead you must worship the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability; bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. |
| 37And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. | 37You must carefully obey at all times the rules, regulations, law, and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods. |
| 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods, | 38You must never forget the agreement I made with you, and you must not worship other gods. |
| 39but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.” | 39Instead you must worship the LORD your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies." |
| 40But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs. | 40But they pay no attention; instead they observe their earlier practices. |
| 41So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. | 41These nations are worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day. |
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