| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. | 1In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years. |
| 2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. | 2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him. |
| 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money. | 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. |
| 4And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought 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 had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison. |
| 5Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. | 5Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. |
| 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. | 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. |
| 7For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, | 7All this happened because the people of Israel 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. They had worshiped other gods |
| 8and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. | 8and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. |
| 9Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. | 9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. |
| 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. | 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. |
| 11There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger, | 11They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger. |
| 12for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” | 12They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.” |
| 13Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, 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.” | 13Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” |
| 14Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. | 14But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. |
| 15And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them. | 15They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. |
| 16So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. | 16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. |
| 17And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. | 17They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. |
| 18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone. | 18So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, |
| 19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. | 19and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. |
| 20And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. | 20So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence. |
| 21For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin. | 21When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin. |
| 22For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, | 22The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them. |
| 23until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day. | 23Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day. |
| 24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. | 24Then the 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 possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. |
| 25And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. | 25Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them. |
| 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” | 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.” |
| 27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” | 27Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.” |
| 28Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. | 28Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD. |
| 29However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. | 29Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places. |
| 30The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, | 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, |
| 31and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. | 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim. |
| 32So they feared the LORD, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. | 32So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places. |
| 33They feared the LORD, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away. | 33They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away. |
| 34To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the LORD had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, | 34To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel. |
| 35with whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; | 35For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. |
| 36but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. | 36Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. |
| 37And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. | 37And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. |
| 38And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. | 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods, |
| 39But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” | 39but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.” |
| 40However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. | 40But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs. |
| 41So these nations feared the LORD, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day. | 41So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. |
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