2 Kings 17:28-41

New American Standard Bible 1995

²⁸ So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

²⁹ But every nation still made gods of its own and put them ^(A)in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. ^30 (B)The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹ and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and ^(C)the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to ^(D)Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of ^(E)Sepharvaim. ^32 (F)They also feared the Lord and ^[a](G)appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. ³³ They feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

³⁴ To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they ^[b]follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, ^(H)whom He named Israel; ³⁵ with whom the Lord made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “^(I)You shall not fear other gods, nor ^(J)bow down yourselves to them nor ^(K)serve them nor sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the Lord, ^(L)who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with ^(M)an outstretched arm, ^(N)Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. ³⁷ The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ^(O)you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸ The covenant that I have made with you, ^(P)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 listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. ^41 (Q)So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their ^[c]idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.