1In the twelfth year of Ahaz, king of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, began his reign of nine years over Israel in Samaria. 2And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as bad as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3Shalmaneser, king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became subservient to him, and paid him tribute. 4Then the king of Assyria detected rebellion in Hoshea; for he had stopped paying an annual tribute to him; and sent messengers to So, king of Egypt. Therefore, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, put him in prison. 5Then Shalmaneser invaded Israel, and besieged Samaria for three years. 6In Hoshea’s ninth year, Shalmaneser captured Samaria, and took the Israelite captives to Assyria, and located them in Halah on the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7This all occurred because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, Who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under control of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had worshipped other gods, 8And followed the practices of the nations that the LORD drove out from before them, as well as worshipping the gods that the kings of Israel had made. 9And the Israelites secretly disobeyed the LORD their God, and they built high places (pagan shrines) in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. 10And they set up images and idols on every high hill, and under every green tree: 11They burned incense in the high places, and did other wicked things, like the nations that the LORD drove out before them had done, to provoke the LORD to anger; 12For they served idols, though the LORD had warned them, “You shall not do this.” 13He had warned both Israel and Judah, by all the prophets, and by seers, telling them, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and statutes, following the law which I gave your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants, the prophets.” 14But they would not listen – they were as stiff-necked as their fathers were, who did not trust in the LORD their God. 15And they rejected His statutes and the covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies, despised His warnings; and pursued worthless idols, which they made for themselves, following the pagan rituals of the nations around them, which the LORD had warned them about. 16And they rejected all His commandments, and made melted images - two calves, and other idols, worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17And they even made their sons and daughters pass through the fire (as human sacrifices), used divination and enchantments, and devoted themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. 18Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His presence; leaving only the tribe of Judah in the land. 19And even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but followed the practices that Israel introduced. 20And so the LORD rejected all the people of Israel, afflicting and delivering them to the plunderers, until He finally thrust them out of His presence.

21He forcibly tore Israel from the house of David; for they made Jeroboam I, son of Nebat, king; who enticed Israel away from following the LORD, and caused them to sin a great sin. 22For the Israelites followed all the sins which Jeroboam I did; and never departed from those sins; 23Until the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had warned by all His servants, the prophets. And so Israel was uprooted from their land, exiled in Assyria unto this day.

24And Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, brought men from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites; and they occupied Samaria, and dwelt in its cities. 25And when they first moved there, since they did not fear the LORD, the LORD sent lions which killed some of them. 26Therefore, they sent this message to Shalmaneser: “The people you have relocated and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know what the God of this land requires; and so He has sent lions among them to kill them, because they do now know the kind of worship demanded by the God of this land.” 27Then the king of Assyria ordered, “Take one of the priests that you brought from there and let him return and dwell there, and teach them the custom of the God of the land.” 28Then one of the priests they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear (and worship) the LORD. 29But every nation still 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 they dwelt in. 30And the men (that Shalmaneser settled in Samaria brought their own gods or idols with them as enumerated here:) the men of Babylon worshipped Succoth-benoth; the men of Cuth worshipped Nergal; the men of Hamath worshipped Ashima, 31And the Avvites worshipped Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They feared the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their people as priests of the high places, who made sacrifices in the houses of the high places. 33And so they feared the LORD, but at the same time served their own gods, following the custom of the nations they were carried away from.

34Unto this day they persist in their former pagan customs; they do not (truly) worship the LORD, nor do they follow the statutes, ordinances, or the law as the LORD commanded the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel, 35With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, “You shall not fear (worship) other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them. 36But the LORD, Who brought you up out of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, Him shall you fear, and Him shall you worship, and to Him shall you offer sacrifice. 37And the statutes, ordinances, the law, and the commandment, which He wrote for you, you shall observe and obey for evermore; and you shall not fear (worship) other gods. 38And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget; nor shall you fear (worship) other gods. 39But you shall fear (and worship) the LORD your God; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they did not listen, but pursued their former ways.

41So these nations feared the LORD, but also served their carved images, as did their children, and their children's children; and their fathers, and they do so even to this day.