1 I n the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah reigned hath Hoshea son of Elah in Samaria, over Israel -- 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 a nd he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only, 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 a gainst him came up Shalmaneser king of Asshur, and Hoshea is to him a servant, and doth render to him a present.

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

4 A nd the king of Asshur findeth in Hoshea a conspiracy, in that he hath sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and hath not caused a present to go up to the king of Asshur, as year by year, and the king of Asshur restraineth him, and bindeth him in a house of restraint.

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 A nd the king of Asshur goeth up into all the land, and he goeth up to Samaria, and layeth siege against 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 hath the king of Asshur captured Samaria, and removeth Israel to Asshur, and causeth them to dwell in Halah, and in Habor, the river Gozan, and 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 A nd it cometh to pass, because the sons of Israel have sinned against Jehovah their God -- who bringeth them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt -- and fear 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 walk in the statutes of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel that 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 a nd the sons of Israel do covertly things that not right against Jehovah their God, and build for them high places in all their cities, from a tower of the watchers unto the fenced 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 set up for them standing-pillars and shrines on every high height, 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 make perfume there in all high places, like the nations that Jehovah removed from their presence, and do evil things to provoke Jehovah,

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 serve the idols, of which Jehovah said to them, `Ye do not do this thing;'

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

13 A nd Jehovah testifieth against Israel, and against Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and every seer, saying, `Turn back from your evil ways, and keep My commands, My statutes, according to all the law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent unto you by the hand of 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 a nd they have not hearkened, and harden their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who did not remain stedfast in Jehovah their God,

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

15 a nd reject His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He testified against them, and go after the vain thing, and become vain, and after the nations that are round about them, of whom Jehovah commanded them not to 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 A nd they forsake all the commands of Jehovah their God, and make to them a molten image -- two calves, and make a shrine, and bow themselves to all the host of the heavens, and serve 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 a nd cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him;

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 hat Jehovah sheweth himself very angry against Israel, and turneth them aside from His presence; none hath been left, only the tribe of Judah by itself.

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 hath not kept the commands of Jehovah their God, and they walk in the statutes of Israel that they had made.

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

20 A nd Jehovah kicketh against all the seed of Israel, and afflicteth them, and giveth them into the hand of spoilers, till that He hath cast them out of His presence,

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 hath rent Israel from the house of David, and they make Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam driveth Israel from after Jehovah, and hath caused them to 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 a nd the sons of Israel walk in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did, they have not turned aside therefrom,

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

23 t ill that Jehovah hath turned Israel aside from His presence, as He spake by the hand of all His servants the prophets, and Israel is removed from off its land to Asshur, unto 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 A nd the king of Asshur bringeth in from Babylon and from Cutha, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and causeth to dwell in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel, and they possess Samaria, and dwell 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 a nd it cometh to pass, at the commencement of their dwelling there, they have not feared Jehovah, and Jehovah doth send among them the lions, and they are destroying among 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 A nd they speak to the king of Asshur, saying, `The nations that thou hast removed, and dost place in the cities of Samaria, have not known the custom of the God of the land, and He sendeth among them the lions, and lo, they are destroying them, as they do not know the custom 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 A nd the king of Asshur commandeth, saying, `Cause to go thither one of the priests whom ye removed thence, and they go and dwell there, and he doth teach them the custom 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 A nd one of the priests whom they removed from Samaria cometh in, and dwelleth in Beth-El, and he is teaching them how they do fear Jehovah,

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 a nd they are making each nation its gods, and place in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans have made, each nation in their cities where they are dwelling.

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 A nd the men of Babylon have made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth have made Nergal, and the men of Hamath have 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 Avites have made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites are burning their sons with fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, gods of Sepharvim.

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 A nd they are fearing Jehovah, and make to themselves from their extremities priests of high places, and they are acting for them in the house 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 J ehovah they are fearing, and their gods they are serving, according to the custom of the nations whence they removed them.

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 U nto this day they are doing according to the former customs -- they are not fearing Jehovah, and are not doing according to their statutes, and according to their ordinances, and according to the law, and according to the command, that Jehovah commanded the sons of Jacob whose name He made 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 a nd Jehovah maketh with them a covenant, and chargeth them, saying, `Ye do 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 Jehovah who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a stretched-out arm, Him ye do fear, and to Him ye bow yourselves, and to Him ye do sacrifice;

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 a nd the statutes, and the judgments, and the law, and the command, that He wrote for you, ye observe to do all the days, and ye do not fear other gods;

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

38 a nd the covenant that I have made with you ye do not forget, and ye do 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 Jehovah your God ye do fear, and He doth 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 a nd they have not hearkened, but according to their former custom they are doing,

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

41 a nd these nations are fearing Jehovah, and their graven images they have served, both their sons and their sons' sons; as their fathers did, they are doing unto 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.