1 I n the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became the king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for nine years.

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

2 H oshea did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, but not as bad as the kings of Israel before him.

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

3 K ing Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against him. And Hoshea became his servant and paid taxes to him.

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

4 B ut the king of Assyria found that Hoshea had been making plans against him. Hoshea had sent men to King So of Egypt, instead of giving taxes to the king of Assyria. He had done this year after year. So the king of Assyria shut him up and put him in chains in prison. Israel Carried Away to Assyria

But 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.

5 T hen the king of Assyria came against all the land. He went up to Samaria and kept soldiers around it for three years.

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

6 I n the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria in battle, and took the people of Israel away to Assyria. He had them live in Halah and Habor, by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

In 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.

7 T his happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God. He had brought them up from the land of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. But they worshiped other gods.

This 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

8 T hey walked in the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out from the people of Israel. And they walked in the ways the kings of Israel had started.

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

9 T he people of Israel did things in secret which were not right, against the Lord their God. They built high places for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest town to the strongest city.

The 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.

10 T hey set up holy objects of the false goddess Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.

They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 T here they burned special perfume on all the high places, as the nations did which the Lord carried away from them. They did what was bad and made the Lord angry.

There 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.

12 T hey worshiped false gods, about which the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.”

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

13 T he Lord told Israel and Judah of the danger, through all His men who told what would happen in the future. He said, “Turn from your sinful ways and obey My Laws. Keep all the Laws which I gave your fathers, and which I gave to you through My servants and men of God.”

Yet 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.

14 B ut they did not listen. They were strong-willed like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God.

Yet 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.

15 T hey turned away from His Laws and His agreement which He made with their fathers. They turned away when He told them of danger. They followed false gods, and became empty. They followed the nations around them. But the Lord had told them not to act like them.

They 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.

16 T hey turned away from all the Laws of the Lord their God and made objects to look like false gods. They made two calves and an object to look like the false goddess Asherah. And they worshiped all the stars of heaven and worked for Baal.

And 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.

17 T hen they gave their sons and daughters as burnt gifts. They told the future and used witchcraft. They sold themselves to do what is sinful in the eyes of the Lord. And they made Him angry.

They 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.

18 T he Lord was very angry with Israel, and put them away from his eyes. None was left except the family of Judah.

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

19 E ven Judah did not keep the Laws of the Lord their God. They walked in the ways which Israel had started.

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

20 A nd the Lord turned away from all the children of Israel, and sent trouble upon them. He gave them over to those who destroyed the land, until He had put them away from His eyes.

The 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.

21 W hen He had torn Israel from the family of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the Lord. He led them into sin.

For 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.

22 A nd the people of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam. They did not turn away from them,

For the Israelites walked in all the sins Jeroboam committed; they departed not from them

23 u ntil the Lord put Israel away from His eyes. He spoke through all His servants who tell what will happen in the future that He would do this. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria until this day. Assyrians Live in Israel

Until 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.

24 T he king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sephar-vaim. He had them live in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel. So they took Samaria for their own, and lived in its cities.

The 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.

25 A t the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

At 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.

26 T hey said to the king of Assyria, “The nations you have carried away to the cities of Samaria do not know the way of the god of the land. So He has sent lions among them to kill them because they do not know the way of the god of the land.”

So 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.

27 T hen the king of Assyria told them, “Take to Samaria one of the religious leaders you brought from there. Let him go and live in Samaria. And let him teach them the way of the god of the land.”

Then 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.

28 S o one of the religious leaders they had taken away from Samaria came and lived at Bethel. And he taught them how they should worship the Lord.

So 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.

29 B ut every nation still made gods of its own. They put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made. The people of every nation did this in the cities where they lived.

But 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.

30 T he men of Babylon made the false god Succoth-benoth. The men of Cuth made the false god Nergal. The men of Hamath made the false god 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 the false gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adram-melech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

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

32 T hey feared the Lord also, and yet they chose from among themselves religious leaders of the high places. These leaders gave the gifts for them in the houses of the high places.

So 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.

33 S o the people feared the Lord, but they worshiped their own gods also. They followed the way of the nations from which they had been taken away.

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

34 T o this day, they follow the ways of times past. They do not honor the Lord. They do not follow the Laws or the Word which the Lord told the sons of Jacob, whom He gave the name Israel.

Unto 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,

35 T he Lord had made an agreement and told them, “You must not fear other gods. You must not put your faces to the ground in front of them, or worship them, or give gifts to them.

With 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.

36 B ut fear the Lord, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong arm. Put your faces to the ground before Him. And give Him your gifts.

But 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.

37 O bey forever the Laws and the Word which He wrote for you. Do not fear other gods.

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

38 D o not forget the agreement I have made with you. And do not honor other gods with fear.

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

39 F ear the Lord your God and He will save you from those who hate you.”

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

40 B ut they did not listen. They followed the ways of times past.

However, they did not listen, but they did as they had done formerly.

41 T hese nations feared the Lord, but they worshiped their false gods also. Their children and grandchildren did the same, and they do as their fathers did to this day.

So 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.