2 Kings 17:28-41

New King James Version

²⁸ Then 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.

²⁹ However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them ^(A)in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. ³⁰ The men of ^(B)Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ^31 (C)and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites ^(D)burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² So they feared the Lord, ^(E)and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the ^[a]high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. ^33 (F)They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

³⁴ To 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, ^(G)whom He named Israel, ³⁵ with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: ^(H)“You shall not fear other gods, nor ^(I)bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; ³⁶ but the Lord, who ^(J)brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and ^(K)an outstretched arm, ^(L)Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. ³⁷ And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, ^(M)you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you, ^(N)you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. ³⁹ But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” ⁴⁰ However they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. ^41 (O)So 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.