Hoshea Last King of Israel^(A)

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea^(B) son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. ² He did evil^(C) in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³ Shalmaneser^(D) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.^{(E) 4} But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[a] king of Egypt,^(F) and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.^{(G) 5} The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(H) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(I) captured Samaria^(J) and deported^(K) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(L) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned^(M) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(N) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods

¹¹ At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols,^(A) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[a] 13} The Lord warned^(B) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(C) “Turn from your evil ways.^(D) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”^(E)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(F) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.

²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence,^(A) as he had warned^(B) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(C) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(A) Only the tribe of Judah was left,