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.

¹³ The Lord warned^(A) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(B) “Turn from your evil ways.^(C) 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.”^(D)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(E) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(F) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(G) and themselves became worthless.^(H) They imitated the nations^(I) around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,^(J) and an Asherah^(K) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(L) and they worshiped Baal.^{(M) 17} They sacrificed^(N) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(O) and sold^(P) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(Q) Only the tribe of Judah was left,

Psalm 60^[a](A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam^[b] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim^[c] and Aram Zobah,^[d] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.^(B)

Judging Others^(A)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.^{(B) 2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^(C)

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.