Hoshea his wicked reign.

1 ¶ In the twelfthºº yearº of Ahazº kingº of Judahº began Hosheaº the sonº of Elahº to reignºª in Samariaº over² Israelº nineº years.º 2 And he didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º but² not² as the kingsº of Israelº that² were² beforeº him.

Being subdued by Shalmaneser, he conspireth against him with So king of Egypt.

3 ¶ Against² him came upºª Shalmaneserº kingº of Assyria;º and Hosheaº became² his servant,º and gaveºª him presents.º 4 And the kingº of Assyriaº foundºª conspiracyº in Hoshea:º for he had sentºª messengersº to² Soº kingº of Egypt,º and broughtºª no² presentº to the kingº of Assyria,º as [he had done] yearº by year:º therefore the kingº of Assyriaº shut him up,ºª and boundºª him in prison.ºº

Samaria for their sins is captivated.

5 ¶ Then the kingº of Assyriaº came upºª throughout all² the land,º and went upºª to Samaria,º and besiegedºª² it threeº years.º

6 ¶ In the ninthº yearº of Hosheaº the kingº of Assyriaº tookºª² Samaria,º and carried¹ª Israel¹ awayºª²² into Assyria,º and placedºª them in Halahº and in Haborº [by] the riverº of Gozan,º and in the citiesº of the Medes.º 7 For [so] it was,² that² the childrenº of Israelº had sinnedºª against the LORDº their God,º which had brought them upºª² out of the landº² of Egypt,º from under²² the handº of Pharaohº kingº of Egypt,º and had fearedºª otherº gods,º 8 And walked¹ª² in the statutesº of the heathen,º whom² the LORDº cast outºª from beforeº² the childrenº of Israel,º and of the kingsº of Israel,º which² they had made.ºª 9 And the childrenº of Israelº did secretlyºª [those] thingsº that² [were] not² right² against² the LORDº their God,º and they builtºª them high placesº in all² their cities,º from the towerº² of the watchmenºª to² the fencedº city.º 10 And they set them upºª imagesº and grovesº in² every² highº hill,º and under² every² greenº tree:º 11 And there² they burnt incenseºª in all² the high places,º as [did] the heathenº whom² the LORDº carried awayºª beforeº² them; and wroughtºª wickedº thingsº to provoke²² the LORDº to anger:¹ª 12 For they servedºª idols,º whereof² the LORDº had saidºª unto them, Ye shall not² doºª² this² thing.º 13 Yet the LORDº testifiedºª against Israel,º and against Judah,º byº all² the prophets,º [and by] all² the seers,º saying,ºª Turnºª ye from your evil¹ ways,º²² and keepºª my commandmentsº [and] my statutes,º according to all² the lawº which² I commandedºª² your fathers,º and which² I sentºª to² you byº my servantsº the prophets.º 14 Notwithstanding they would not² hear,ºª but hardenedºª² their necks,º like to the neckº of their fathers,º that² did not² believeºª in the LORDº their God.º 15 And they rejectedºª² his statutes,º and his covenantº that² he madeºª with² their fathers,º and his testimoniesº which² he testifiedºª against them; and they followedº¹ª² vanity,º and became vain,ºª and went afterº the heathenº that² [were] round aboutº them, [concerning] whom² the LORDº had chargedºª them, that they should not² doºª like them. 16 And they leftºª² all² the commandmentsº of the LORDº their God,º and madeºª them molten images,º [even] twoº calves,º and madeºª a grove,º and worshippedºª all² the hostº of heaven,º and servedºª² Baal.º 17 And they caused² their sonsº and their daughtersº to pass¹ª through² the fire,º and usedºª divinationº and enchantments,ºª and sold¹ª themselves² to doºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º to provoke him to anger.ºª 18 Therefore the LORDº was very¹ angryºª² with Israel,º and removedºª them out of²² his sight:º there was none² leftºª but² the tribeº of Judahº only.² 19 Also² Judahº keptºª not²² the commandmentsº of the LORDº their God,º but walked¹ª² in the statutesº of Israelº which² they made.ºª 20 And the LORDº rejectedºª all² the seedº of Israel,º and afflictedºª them, and deliveredºª them into the handº of spoilers,ºª until²² he had cast¹ª them out² of his sight.º² 21 For² he rentºª Israelº from²² the houseº of David;º and they made² Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebatº king:ºª and Jeroboamº draveºªª¹² Israelº from followingº² the LORD,º and made them sinºª a greatº sin.º 22 For the childrenº of Israelº walked¹ª² in all² the sinsº of Jeroboamº which² he did;ºª they departedºª not² from² them; 23 Until²² the LORDº removedºª² Israelº out of²² his sight,º as² he had saidºª byº all² his servantsº the prophets.º So was Israelº carried awayºª out of²² their own landº to Assyriaº unto² this² day.º

The strange nations, which were transplanted in Samaria, being plagued with lions, make a mixture of religions.

24 ¶ And the kingº of Assyriaº broughtºª [men] from Babylon,º² and from Cuthah,º² and from Ava,º² and from Hamath,º² and from Sepharvaim,º and placedºª [them] in the citiesº of Samariaº instead² of the childrenº of Israel:º and they possessedºª² Samaria,º and dweltºª in the citiesº thereof. 25 And [so] it was² at the beginningº of their dwellingºª there,² [that] they fearedºª not²² the LORD:º therefore the LORDº sentºª² lionsº among them, which slewºª [some] of them. 26 Wherefore they spakeºª to the kingº of Assyria,º saying,ºª The nationsº which² thou hast removed,ºª and placedºª in the citiesº of Samaria,º knowºª not²² the mannerº of the Godº of the land:º therefore he hath sentºª² lionsº among them, and, behold,² they slayºª them, because² they knowºª not²² the mannerº of the Godº of the land.º 27 Then the kingº of Assyriaº commanded,ºª saying,ºª Carry¹ª² thither² oneº of the priestsº² whom² ye broughtºª from thence;²² and let them go¹ª² and dwellºª there,² and let him teachºª them² the mannerº of the Godº of the land.º 28 Then oneº of the priestsº² whom² they had carried awayºª from Samariaº² cameºª and dweltºª in Bethel,º and taughtºª them how² they should fearºª² the LORD.º 29 Howbeit every nationº madeºª godsº of their own, and put¹ª² [them] in the housesº of the high placesº which² the Samaritansº had made,ºª every nationº in their citiesº wherein²² they² dwelt.ºª 30 And the men¹² of Babylonº madeºª² Succothbenoth,º and the men¹² of Cuthº madeºª² Nergal,º and the men¹² of Hamathº madeºª² Ashima,º 31 And the Avites¹² madeºª Nibhazº and Tartak,º and the Sepharvites¹² burntºª² their childrenº in fireº to Adrammelechº and Anammelech,º the godsº of Sepharvaim.º 32 So they feared¹²²² the LORD,º and madeºª unto themselves of the lowestº² of them priestsº of the high places,º which sacrificedºª for them in the housesº of the high places.º 33 They feared¹²²² the LORD,º and servedºª² their own gods,º after the mannerº of the nationsº whom²² they carried awayºª from thence.²² 34 Unto² this² dayº they² doºª after the formerº manners:º they fear¹² not²² the LORD,º neither² doºª they after their statutes,º or after their ordinances,º or after the lawº and commandmentº which² the LORDº commandedºª² the childrenº of Jacob,º whom² he namedººª Israel;º 35 With² whom the LORDº had madeºª a covenant,º and chargedºª them, saying,ºª Ye shall not² fearºª otherº gods,º nor² bow¹ª yourselves² to them, nor² serveºª them, nor² sacrificeºª to them: 36 But²²² the LORD,º who² brought you upºª² out of the landº² of Egyptº with greatº powerº and a stretched outºª arm,º him shall ye fear,ºª and him shall ye worship,ºª and to him shall ye do sacrifice.ºª 37 And the statutes,º and the ordinances,º and the law,º and the commandment,º which² he wroteºª for you, ye shall observeºª to doºª for evermore;º² and ye shall not² fearºª otherº gods.º 38 And the covenantº that² I have madeºª with² you ye shall not² forget;ºª neither² shall ye fearºª otherº gods.º 39 But²²² the LORDº your Godº ye shall fear;ºª and he² shall deliverºª you out of the handº² of all² your enemies.ºª 40 Howbeit they did not² hearken,ºª but²² they² didºª after their formerº manner.º 41 So these² nationsº feared¹²²² the LORD,º and servedºª their graven images,º both² their children,º and their children'sº children:º as² didºª their fathers,º so doºª they² unto² this² day.º