Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger:

12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

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The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege(A) to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria(B) captured Samaria(C) and deported(D) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan(E) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned(F) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt(G) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations(H) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city(I) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(J) and Asherah poles(K) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(L) 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,(M) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”[a] 13 The Lord warned(N) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:(O) “Turn from your evil ways.(P) 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.”(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:12 Exodus 20:4,5