¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(A) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^(B)

⁵ The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(A) to it for three years. ⁶ 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

⁷ 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 ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.