1 I n the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah began his nine-year reign in Samaria over Israel.

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

2 H e did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as Israel’s kings before him did.

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

3 A gainst him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant and brought him tribute.

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

4 B ut the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year; therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

But 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.

5 T hen the king of Assyria invaded all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.

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

6 I n the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried the Israelites away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes.

In 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. Why Israel Fell

7 T his was so because the Israelites 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; and they had feared other gods

Now 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

8 A nd walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites, customs the kings of Israel had introduced.

and 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.

9 T he Israelites did secretly against the Lord their God things not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.

The 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.

10 T hey set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.

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

11 T here they burned incense on all the high places, as did the nations whom the Lord carried away before them; and they did wicked things provoking the Lord to anger.

and 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.

12 A nd they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, You shall not do this thing.

They served idols, concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

13 Y et the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all the prophets and all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.

Yet 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.”

14 Y et they would not hear, but hardened their necks as did their fathers who did not believe (trust in, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord their God.

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

15 T hey despised and rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings to them, and they followed vanity (false gods—falsehood, emptiness, and futility) and became false (empty and futile). They went after the heathen round about them, of whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do as they did.

They 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.

16 A nd they 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 hosts of the heavens and served Baal.

They 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.

17 T hey caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.

Then 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.

18 T herefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah.

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

19 J udah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs which Israel introduced.

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

20 T he Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight.

The 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.

21 F or He tore Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drew and drove Israel away from following the Lord and made them sin a great sin.

When 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.

22 F or the Israelites walked in all the sins Jeroboam committed; they departed not from them

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

23 U ntil the Lord removed Israel from His sight, as He had foretold by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria to this day.

until 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. Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

24 T he king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They possessed Samaria and dwelt in its cities.

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

25 A t the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear and revere the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

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

26 S o the king of Assyria was told: The nations you removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the manner in which the God of the land requires their worship. Therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the manner of the God of the land.

So 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.”

27 T hen the king of Assyria commanded, Take to Samaria one of the priests you brought from there, and let him go and live there and let him teach the people the law of the God of the land.

Then 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.”

28 S o one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear and revere the Lord.

So 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.

29 B ut every nationality still made gods of their own and put them in the shrines of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nationality in the city in which they dwelt.

But 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.

30 T he men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

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

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

32 S o they feared the Lord, yet appointed from among themselves, whether high or low, priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.

They 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.

33 T hey feared the Lord, yet served their own gods, as did the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

They 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.

34 U nto this day they do after their former custom: they do not fear the Lord, neither do they obey the statutes or the ordinances or the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel,

To 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;

35 W ith whom the Lord had made a covenant and commanded them, You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them.

with 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.

36 B ut you shall fear, bow yourselves to, and sacrifice to the Lord, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm.

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.

37 A nd the statutes, ordinances, law, and commandment which He wrote for you you shall observe and do forevermore; you shall not fear other gods.

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.

38 A nd the covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; you shall not fear other gods.

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

39 B ut the Lord your God you shall fear; then He will deliver you out of the hands of all your enemies.

But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40 H owever, they did not listen, but they did as they had done formerly.

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

41 S o these nations feared the Lord and also served their graven images, as did their children and their children’s children. As their fathers did, so do they to this day.

So 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.