Hoshea the Last King of Israel

1In the twolueth yeare of Achas the kynge of Iuda, begane Oseas ye sonne of Ela to reigne ouer Israel at Samaria nyne yeare, 2and dyd yt which was euell in ye sighte of the LORDE, but not as ye kynges of Israel yt were before him. 3Agaynst him dyd Salmanasar ye kynge of Assiria come vp. And Oseas was subiecte vnto him, & gaue him trybutes. 4But wha ye kynge of Assiria perceaued yt Oseas had conspyred & sent messaungers to Sua ye kynge of Egipte, & payed not trybute yearly to ye kynge of ye Assirians, he beseged him & put him in preson.

Israel Carried Captive to Assyria

5And the kynge of Assiria wente vp in to all the londe and to Samaria, and layed sege vnto it thre yeare.

6And in the nyenth yeare of Oseas dyd ye kynge of Assiria wynne Samaria, and caried Israel awaye in to Assiria, and set them at Halah and at Habor by the water Gosan, and in the cities of the Meedes.

7For whan the childre of Israel synned agaynst ye LORDE their God (yt broughte the out of ye londe of Egipte, from the hade of Pharao kynge of Egipte) and serued other goddes: 8and walked after the customes of the Heythe, whom the LORDE had dryuen out before the children of Israel, and dyd as the kynges of Israel, 9and prouoked ye LORDE their God, and dyd secretly the thinges that were not righte in the sighte of ye LORDE their God: namely in that they buylded them hye places in all cities, both in castels and stronge cities, 10and set vp pilers and groues, vpon all hye hilles, and amonge all grene trees, 11and brent incense there in all ye hye places, euen as dyd the Heythen, whom the LORDE had cast out before them, & wroughte wicked thinges, wherwith they prouoked the LORDE vnto wrath, 12& serued the Idols, wherof the LORDE sayde vnto them: Ye shal not do soch a thynge. 13And whan the LORDE testified in Israel and Iuda by all the prophetes and Seers, sayenge: O turne agayne from youre euell wayes, and kepe my commaundemetes and ordynaunces, acordinge to all ye lawe which I gaue vnto youre fathers, and that I sent vnto you by my seruauntes the prophetes: 14they wolde not herken, but herdened their neckes, acordinge to the hardneck of their fathers, which beleued not on the LORDE their God. 15Yee they despysed his ordinaunces and his couenaunt which he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he witnessed amonge them, and walked in their awne vanities, and became vayne folowinge the Heythen, which dwelt rounde aboute them, concernynge whom the LORDE had commaunded them, that they shulde not do as they dyd. 16Neuertheles they forsoke all the commaundementes of the LORDE their God and made them two molten calues and groues, and worshipped all the hoost of heauen, & serued Baal, 17and caused their sonnes and doughters to go thorow the fyre, and medled wt soythsayers and witches, and gaue them selues ouer to do that which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE, to prouoke him vnto wrath. 18Then was the LORDE very wroth at Israel, and put them awaye fro his presence, so yt there remayned nomo but onely ye trybe of Iuda.

19Nether dyd Iuda kepe the commaundemetes of the LORDE their God, but walked after the customes of Israel, which they dyd. 20Therfore dyd ye LORDE cast awaye all ye sede of Israel, and troubled them, and delyuered them in to the handes of the spoylers, tyll he had cast them out of his presence:

21for Israel was deuyded from the house of Dauid. And they made the a kynge, one Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which turned Israel back from ye LORDE, & caused the to synne so sore. 22Thus walked the childre of Israel in all ye synnes of Ieroboam, which he had done, & departed not fro them, 23vntyll ye LORDE put Israel out of his presence, acordinge as he had spoke by all his seruauntes ye prophetes. So Israel was caried awaye out of their awne londe to Assiria vnto this (daye.

Samaria Resettled

24The kynge of Assiria caused men to come fro Babilon, from Cutha, fro Aua, from Hemath & Sepharuaim, & caused the to inhabite ye cities in Samaria in steade of the children of Israel. And they toke possession of Samaria, & dwelt in ye same cities. 25But wha they begane to dwell there, & feared not ye LORDE, the LORDE sent lyons amoge the, which slewe them. 26And they caused it be sayde vnto ye kynge of Assiria: The Heythe whom thou hast broughte hither, & caused them to inhabite the cities of Samaria, knowe not the lawe of ye God of the londe. Therfore hath he sent lyons amoge them, & beholde, they slaye the, because they knowe not the ordinaunce of the God of the londe.

27The kinge of Assiria comaunded & saide: Bringe thither one of ye prestes yt were caried awaye fro thence & let him go thither, & dwell there, & teach the the ordinauce of the God of ye londe. 28Then came one of ye prestes which were caried awaye from Samaria, & dwelt at Bethel, & taughte them how they shulde feare ye LORDE.

29But euery people made the goddes, & put the in the houses vpon ye hye places, which the Samaritanes had made, euery people i their cities wherin they dwelt. 30They of Babilo made Sochoth Benoth. They of Chut made Nergel. They of Hemath made Asima. 31They of Aua made Nibehas & Tharthak. They of Sepharuaim burnt their sonnes vnto Adramelech and Anamelech ye goddes of the of Sepharuaim. 32And whyle they feared ye LORDE, they made prestes in ye hye places of ye lowest amonge them, & put them in ye houses of ye hye places: 33thus they feared ye LORDE, & serued ye goddes also, acordinge to ye custome of euery nacion, from whence they were broughte.

34And vnto this daye do they after ye olde fashion, so yt they nether feare ye LORDE, ner yet kepe their awne ordinaunces and lawes, after the lawe and commaundement that the LORDE comaunded the childre of Iacob, vnto whom he gaue ye name of Israel, 35and made a couenaunt with them, and commaunded them, and sayde: Feare none other goddes, and worshipe them not, and serue them not, and offer not vnto them: 36but the LORDE which broughte you out of the lode of Egipte, with greate power and outstretched arme, Him feare, him worshippe, & vnto him do sacrifice: 37and the statutes, ordinaunces, lawe & comaundement which he hath caused to be wrytten vnto you, those se that ye kepe, that ye allwaye do therafter, and feare none other goddes. 38And forget not the couenaunt which he hath made with you, lest ye feare other goddes. 39But feare ye LORDE youre God, he shall delyuer you from all youre enemies. 40Neuertheles they wolde not herken, but dyd after their olde custome. 41Thus these Heythen feared the LORDE, and serued their Idols also, and so dyd their children and childers childre likewyse. Eue as their fathers haue done before them, so do they vnto this daye.