NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned nine years.

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him.

2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, only not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

3King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject and paid him tribute.

3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute.

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.

4But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and had offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; so the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

5The king of Assyria marched through the whole land. He attacked Samaria and besieged it for three years.

5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.

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.

6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

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;

7Now this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they had feared other gods

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.

8and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out before the sons of Israel, and in the customs of the kings of Israel which they had introduced.

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.

9The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.

10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

10They set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,

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.

11and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did which the LORD had carried away to exile before them; and they did evil things provoking the LORD.

12They worshiped the disgusting idols in blatant disregard of the LORD's command.

12They served idols, concerning which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."

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."

13Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets."

14But they did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had not trusted the LORD their God.

14However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

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.

15They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them.

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.

16They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

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.

17Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

18So the LORD was furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left.

18So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah.

19Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the LORD their God; they followed Israel's example.

19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.

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.

20The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them out of His sight.

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.

21When He had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.

22The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and did not repudiate them.

22The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them

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.

23until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.

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.

24The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sephar-vaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.

25When they first moved in, they did not worship the LORD. So the LORD sent lions among them and the lions were killing them.

25At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them.

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."

26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom 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."

27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land."

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.

28So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

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.

29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.

30The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the people from Cuth made Nergal, the people from 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 sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.

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.

32They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places.

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.

33They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

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.

34To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel;

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.

35with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them.

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.

36"But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.

37You must carefully obey at all times the rules, regulations, law, and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods.

37"The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods.

38You must never forget the agreement I made with you, and you must not worship other gods.

38"The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39Instead you must worship the LORD your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies."

39"But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."

40But they pay no attention; instead they observe their earlier practices.

40However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom.

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.

41So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

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