| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1In the twelfth year of Judah's King Ahaz, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years. | 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. |
| 2He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. | 2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. |
| 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. | 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. |
| 4But the king of Assyria discovered Hoshea's conspiracy. He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt and had not paid tribute money to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison. | 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. |
| 5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. | 5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. |
| 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan's river, and in the cities of the Medes. | 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. |
| 7This disaster happened because the people of Israel had 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 had worshiped other gods. | 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 |
| 8They had lived according to the customs of the nations that the LORD had dispossessed before the Israelites and the customs the kings of Israel had introduced. | 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. |
| 9The Israelites secretly did what was not right against the LORD their God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city. | 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. |
| 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. | 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. |
| 11They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking the LORD. | 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. |
| 12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, "You must not do this." | 12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.” |
| 13Still, 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 all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets." | 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.” |
| 14But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the LORD their God. | 14But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. |
| 15They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors and the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. | 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. |
| 16They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They worshiped the whole heavenly host and served Baal. | 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. |
| 17They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the LORD's sight and provoked Him. | 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. |
| 18Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained. | 18So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, |
| 19Even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. | 19and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. |
| 20So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence. | 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. |
| 21When the LORD tore Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit great sin. | 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. |
| 22The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them. | 22The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. |
| 23Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence just as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland until today. | 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. |
| 24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in place of the Israelites in the cities of Samaria. The settlers took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. | 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. |
| 25When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahweh. So the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. | 25Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. |
| 26The settlers spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations that you have deported and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Therefore He has sent lions among them that are killing them because the people don't know the requirements of the God of the land." | 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.” |
| 27Then the king of Assyria issued a command: "Send back one of the priests you deported. Have him go and live there so he can teach them 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.” |
| 28So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should fear Yahweh. | 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. |
| 29But the people of each nation were still making their own gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made. | 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. |
| 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, | 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of 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 children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim. |
| 32They feared the LORD, but they also appointed from their number priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places. | 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. |
| 33They feared the LORD, but they also worshiped their own gods according to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from. | 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. |
| 34They are still practicing the former customs to this day. None of them fear the LORD or observe their statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments the LORD commanded the descendants of Jacob. He had renamed him Israel. | 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. |
| 35The LORD made a covenant with them and commanded them, "Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them; do not serve them; do not sacrifice to them. | 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. |
| 36Instead fear the LORD, who brought you from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him, and you are to sacrifice to Him. | 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. |
| 37You are to be careful always to observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you; do not fear other gods. | 37And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. |
| 38Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you. Do not fear other gods, | 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods, |
| 39but fear the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies." | 39but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.” |
| 40However, they would not listen but continued practicing their former customs. | 40But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs. |
| 41These nations feared the LORD but also served their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did until today. | 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. |
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