Israel’s King Hoshea

17 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea^(A) son of Elah became king over Israel in Samaria and reigned nine years. ² He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.^(B)

³ Shalmaneser^(C) king of Assyria attacked him,^(D) and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. ⁴ But the king of Assyria discovered Hoshea’s conspiracy. He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt^(E) and had not paid tribute money to the king of Assyria as in previous years.^[a] Therefore the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison. ⁵ Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.^(F)

The Fall of Samaria

⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea,^(G) the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported^(H) the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, Gozan’s river, and in the cities of the Medes.^(I)

Why Israel Fell

⁷ This disaster happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt^(J) and because they had worshiped^[b] other gods.^{(K) 8} They had lived according to the customs of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites^(L) and the customs the kings of Israel had introduced.^{(M) 9} The Israelites secretly did what was not right^[c] against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns from watchtower^(N) to fortified city. ¹⁰ They set up for themselves sacred pillars^(O) and Asherah poles^(P) on every high hill and under every green tree.^{(Q) 11} They burned incense on all the high places just like those nations that the Lord had driven out before them. They did evil things, provoking the Lord. ¹² They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.”^{(R) 13} Still, the Lord warned^(S) Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commands and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets.”^(T)

¹⁴ But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like^[d] their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.^{(U) 15} They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors^(V) and the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves,^(W) following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.^(X)

¹⁶ They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images^(Y) for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole.^(Z) They worshiped the whole heavenly host^(AA) and served Baal.^{(AB) 17} They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire^(AC) and practiced divination and interpreted omens.^(AD) They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight and provoked Him.^(AE)

¹⁸ Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence.^(AF) Only the tribe of Judah remained.^{(AG) 19} Even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God^(AH) but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.^{(AI) 20} So the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and handed them over to plunderers until He had banished them from His presence.^(AJ)

⁶ Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.’ ⁷ For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to Him?

²⁵ “When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, provoking Him to anger, ²⁶ I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that you will quickly perish^(A) from the land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not live long there, but you will certainly be destroyed. ²⁷ The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors^[a] among the nations where the Lord your God will drive you. ²⁸ There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see, hear, eat, or smell. ²⁹ But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.^{(B) 30} When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God in later days and obey Him. ³¹ He will not leave you, destroy you, or forget the covenant^(C) with your fathers that He swore to them by oath, because the Lord your God is a compassionate God.^(D)

⁶² Though you were as numerous as the stars of the sky, you will be left with only a few people, because you did not obey the Lord your God. ⁶³ Just as the Lord was glad to cause you to prosper and to multiply you, so He will also be glad to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be deported from the land you are entering to possess. ⁶⁴ Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. ⁶⁵ You will find no peace among those nations, and there will be no resting place^(A) for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despondent spirit.