2 Kings 17

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

1In the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign over Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he ruled for nine years.

2And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, yet not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

2He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, but he was not as bad as the kings of Israel who had ruled before him.

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

3King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up to attack him, and Hoshea became his servant and paid him tribute money.

4And the 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 shut him up, and bound him in prison.

4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor. Hoshea had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and had stopped paying the yearly tribute to Assyria. Therefore, the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.

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

5Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land; he marched against Samaria and kept it under siege for three years.

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

6In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against Jehovah 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,

7This happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of Egypt and rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They had started worshiping other gods.

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

8They lived according to the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before them, and followed the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.

9And the children of Israel did secretly things that were not right against Jehovah their God: and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;

9The Israelites also secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. They built shrines for idols in all their towns, from the smallest watchtower to the largest fortified city.

10and they set them up pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every green tree;

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

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

11They burned incense on all those high places, just like the nations the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things that made the LORD angry.

12and they served idols, whereof Jehovah had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

12They worshiped idols, even though the LORD had specifically told them, 'You must not do this.'

13Yet Jehovah testified unto Israel, and unto Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, Turn ye 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.

13The LORD had warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers, saying, 'Turn away from your evil ways. Keep my commandments and my rules, following the entire law that I commanded your ancestors and gave to you through my servants the prophets.'

14Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in Jehovah their God.

14However, they would not listen. They were stubborn, just like their ancestors who did not trust in the LORD their God.

15And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified unto them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom Jehovah had charged them that they should not do like them.

15They rejected his requirements, the covenant he made with their ancestors, and the warnings he gave them. They chased after worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They imitated the surrounding nations, even though the LORD had commanded them not to act like them.

16And they forsook all the commandments of Jehovah their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

16They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made metal images of two calves and an Asherah pole. They worshiped all the stars of heaven and served the god Baal.

17And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

17They even sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced fortune-telling and used magic spells. They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, making him very angry.

18Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

18Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. No one was left except the tribe of Judah.

19Also Judah kept not the commandments of Jehovah their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

19Even the people of Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the same customs that Israel had started.

20And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

20So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them and handed them over to invaders until he had thrown them out of his sight.

21For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drove Israel from following Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin.

21When he tore Israel away from the royal house of David, the people made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.

22And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

22The people of Israel continued in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them.

23until Jehovah removed Israel out of his sight, as he spake by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

23This lasted until the LORD removed Israel from his presence, just as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken away from their land into exile in Assyria, where they remain to this day.

24And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and 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 dwelt in the cities thereof.

24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its cities.

25And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Jehovah: therefore Jehovah sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

25When they first settled there, they did not worship the LORD; therefore, the LORD sent lions among them, and the lions killed some of the people.

26Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the law of the god of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the law of the god of the land.

26The people told the king of Assyria, 'The nations you moved into the towns of Samaria do not know the requirements of the god of that land. He has sent lions among them, and they are killing them because they don't know what that god requires.'

27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.

27Then the king of Assyria gave this order: 'Have one of the priests you took from there go back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the people what the god of that land requires.'

28So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear Jehovah.

28So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the LORD.

29Howbeit 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 wherein they dwelt.

29However, each national group continued to make its own gods. They put them in the shrines at the high places that the people of Samaria had built, each group in the towns where they lived.

30And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

30The people from Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the people from Cuth made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima.

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

31The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites even burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to their gods, Adrammelech and Anammelech.

32So they feared Jehovah, and made unto them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

32They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all kinds of people from among themselves to serve as priests at the shrines on the high places. These priests offered sacrifices for them there.

33They feared Jehovah, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

33They feared the LORD, yet they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

34Unto this day they do after the former manner: they fear not Jehovah, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the commandment which Jehovah commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

34To this day they continue their old practices. They do not truly worship the LORD, and they do not follow the decrees, regulations, laws, and commands that the LORD gave to the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.

35with whom Jehovah had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

35The LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them: 'Do not worship other gods, do not bow down to them, do not serve them, and do not offer sacrifices to them.

36but Jehovah, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, him shall ye fear, and unto him shall ye bow yourselves, and to him shall ye sacrifice:

36Instead, fear the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with great power and a mighty arm. You must worship him, bow down to him, and offer sacrifices to him.

37and the statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods:

37You must always be careful to obey the decrees, regulations, laws, and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

38and the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods:

38Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.

39but Jehovah your God shall ye fear; and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

39Rather, worship the LORD your God; he is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.'

40Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

40But the people would not listen. They continued in their old ways.

41So these nations feared Jehovah, and served their graven images; their children likewise, and their children’s children, as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

41Even while these new people worshipped the LORD, they were also serving their carved idols. Their children and grandchildren continue to do exactly what their ancestors did, even to this day.