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

In 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.

2 H e did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

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

3 S halmaneser king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.

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

4 T he king of Assyria found conspiracy 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 seized him, and bound him in prison.

But 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

5 T hen the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

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

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

In 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.

7 I t was so because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

This 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.

8 a nd walked in the statutes of the nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.

They 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.

9 T he children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against Yahweh their God; and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;

The 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.

10 a nd they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill, and under every green tree;

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

11 a nd there they burnt incense in all the high places, as the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them did; and they did wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger;

There 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.

12 a nd they served idols, of which Yahweh had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

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

13 Y et Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, 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.”

The 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.”

14 N otwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God.

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

15 T hey rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom Yahweh had commanded them that they should not do like them.

They 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.

16 T hey abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.

They 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.

17 T hey caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger.

Then 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.

18 T herefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

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

19 A lso Judah didn’t keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

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

20 Y ahweh rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight.

And 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.

21 F or he tore Israel from David’s house; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drove Israel from following Yahweh, and made them sin a great sin.

When 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.

22 T he children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them

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

23 u ntil Yahweh removed Israel out of his sight, as he said by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.

until 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

24 T he king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and lived in its cities.

The 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.

25 S o it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn’t fear Yahweh. Therefore Yahweh sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

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

26 T herefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations which you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land.”

They 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.”

27 T hen the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.”

Then 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.”

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

So 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.

29 H owever every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.

But 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.

30 T he men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

The 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.

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

The 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.

32 S o they feared Yahweh, and also made from among themselves priests of the high places for themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

They 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.

33 T hey feared Yahweh, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

So 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.

34 T o this day they do what they did before. They don’t fear Yahweh, and they do not follow the statutes, or the ordinances, or the law, or the commandment which Yahweh commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

To 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.

35 w ith whom Yahweh had made a covenant, and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;

The 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.

36 b ut you shall fear Yahweh, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and you shall bow yourselves to him, and you shall sacrifice to him.

But 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.

37 T he statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods.

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

38 Y ou shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods.

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

39 B ut you shall fear Yahweh your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”

Fear the Lord your God and He will save you from those who hate you.”

40 H owever they did not listen, but they did what they did before.

But they did not listen. They followed the ways of times past.

41 S o these nations feared Yahweh, and also served their engraved images. Their children likewise, and their children’s children, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

These 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.