| New King James Version | NET 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 King Ahaz's reign over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for nine years. |
| 2And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. | 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him. |
| 3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money. | 3King Shalmaneser of Assyria threatened him; Hoshea became his subject 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. | 4The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt. Hoshea had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him. |
| 5Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. | 5The king of Assyria marched through the whole land. He attacked 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's reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), 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, | 7This happened because the Israelites sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They 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. | 8they observed the practices of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before Israel, and followed the example of 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 said things about the LORD their God that were not right. They built high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress. |
| 10They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on 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. |
| 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 just like the nations whom the LORD had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the LORD angry. |
| 12for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” | 12They worshiped the disgusting idols in blatant disregard of the LORD's command. |
| 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.” | 13The LORD solemnly warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and all the seers, "Turn back from your evil ways; obey my commandments and rules that are recorded in the law. I ordered your ancestors to keep this law and sent my servants the prophets to remind you of its demands." |
| 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 did not pay attention and were as stubborn as their ancestors, who had not trusted 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 rules, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the laws he had commanded them to obey. They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to the LORD. They copied the practices of the surrounding nations in blatant disregard of the LORD's command. |
| 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; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, and worshiped 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 passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD and made him angry. |
| 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 furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left. |
| 19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. | 19Judah also failed to keep the commandments of the LORD their God; they followed Israel's example. |
| 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 of Israel's descendants; he humiliated them and handed them over to robbers, until he had thrown 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. | 21He tore Israel away from David's dynasty, and Jeroboam son of Nebat became their king. Jeroboam drove Israel away from the LORD and encouraged them to commit a serious sin. |
| 22For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, | 22The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and did not repudiate 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 rejected Israel just as he had warned he would do through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very 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. | 24The king of Assyria brought foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. |
| 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. | 25When they first moved in, they did not worship the LORD. So the LORD sent lions among them and the lions were killing 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.” | 26The king of Assyria was told, "The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land." |
| 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.” | 27So the king of Assyria ordered, "Take back one of the priests whom you deported from there. He must settle there and teach them 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. | 28So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. He taught them how to 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. | 29But each of these nations made its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria had made. Each nation did this in the cities where they lived. |
| 30The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, | 30The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the people from Cuth made Nergal, the people from 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 sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of 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. | 32At the same time they worshiped the LORD. They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on 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 were worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which they had been deported. |
| 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 very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship the LORD; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed 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; | 35The LORD made an agreement with them and instructed them, "You must not worship other gods. Do not bow down to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices 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 you must worship the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability; 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. | 37You must carefully obey at all times the rules, regulations, law, and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods. |
| 38And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. | 38You must never forget the agreement I made with you, and you must not worship other gods. |
| 39But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” | 39Instead you must worship the LORD your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies." |
| 40However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. | 40But they pay no attention; instead they observe their earlier practices. |
| 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. | 41These nations are worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day. |
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