2 Kings 17
GOD’S WORD Translation
King Hoshea of Israel
17 In Ahaz’s twelfth year as king of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, began to rule as king of Israel in Samaria. He ruled for nine years. 2 He did what the Lord considered evil, but he didn’t do what the kings of Israel before him had done.
The Fall of Samaria
3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria defeated Hoshea, who became his servant and was required to make annual payments to him. 4 The king of Assyria found Hoshea to be a traitor. (Hoshea had sent messengers to King Dais of Egypt and had stopped making annual payments to the king of Assyria.) So the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison. 5 Then the king of Assyria attacked the entire country. He attacked Samaria and blockaded it for three years. 6 In Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelites to Assyria as captives. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 The Israelites sinned against the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt ⌞and rescued them⌟ from the power of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). They worshiped other gods 8 and lived by the customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way. They also did what their kings wanted them to do. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that weren’t right:
They built for themselves illegal places of worship in all of their cities, from the ⌞smallest⌟ watchtower to the ⌞largest⌟ fortified city.
10 They set up sacred stones and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah on every high hill and under every large tree.
11 At all the illegal places of worship, they sacrificed in the same way as the nations that the Lord had removed from the land ahead of them.
They did evil things and made the Lord furious.
12 They served idols, although the Lord had said, “Never do this.”
13 The Lord had warned Israel and Judah through every kind of prophet and seer,[a] “Turn from your evil ways, and obey my commands and decrees as I commanded your ancestors in all my teachings, the commands I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” 14 But they refused to listen. They became as impossible to deal with as their ancestors who refused to trust the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees, the promise [b] he made to their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They went after worthless idols and became as worthless as the idols. They behaved like the nations around them, although the Lord had commanded them not to do that. 16 They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God:
They made two calves out of cast metal.
They made a pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah.
They prayed to the entire army of heaven.
They worshiped Baal.
17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters by burning them alive.
They practiced black magic and cast evil spells.
They sold themselves by doing what the Lord considered evil, and they made him furious.
18 The Lord became so angry with Israel that he removed them from his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left. 19 Even Judah didn’t obey the commands of the Lord their God but lived according to Israel’s customs. 20 So the Lord rejected all of Israel’s descendants, made them suffer, handed them over to those who looted their property, and finally turned away from Israel.
21 When he tore Israel away from the family of David, the people of Israel made Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) king. Jeroboam forced Israel away from the Lord and led them to commit a serious sin. 22 The Israelites followed all the sins Jeroboam committed and never turned away from them. 23 Finally, the Lord turned away from Israel as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their land to Assyria as captives, and they are still there today.
Assyria Brings Foreign People to Settle in Israel
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its cities.
25 When they first came to live there, they didn’t worship the Lord. So the Lord sent lions to kill some of them. 26 Then someone said to the king of Assyria, “The people you took as captives and settled in the cities of Samaria don’t know the customs of the god of that country, so he sent lions. Now the lions are killing them because they don’t know the customs of the god of this country.”
27 The king of Assyria gave this command: “Bring one of the priests you captured from there. Let him go back to teach them the customs of the god of that country.” 28 So one of the priests who had been taken prisoner from Samaria went to live in Bethel. He taught them how to worship the Lord.
29 But each group ⌞that settled in Samaria⌟ continued to make its own gods. They put them at the illegal places of worship, which the people of Samaria had made. Each group did this in the cities where they lived:
30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth.
The people from Cuth made Nergal.
The people from Hamath made Ashima.
31 The people from Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak.
The people from Sepharvaim burned their children for Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So while these people were worshiping the Lord, they also appointed all kinds of people to serve as priests for the shrines at their illegal places of worship. 33 They worshiped the Lord but also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had come.
34 Today they are still following their customs, as they’ve done from the beginning. They don’t fear the Lord or live by the decrees, customs, teachings, or commands that the Lord gave to the descendants of Jacob (whom he named Israel). 35 When the Lord made a promise to Israel, he commanded, “Never worship other gods, bow down to them, serve them, or sacrifice to them. 36 Instead, worship the Lord, who used his great power and a mighty arm to bring you out of Egypt. Bow down to the Lord, and sacrifice to him. 37 Faithfully obey the laws, rules, teachings, and commands that he wrote for you: ‘Never worship other gods. 38 Never forget the promise I made to you. Never worship other gods. 39 Instead, worship the Lord your God, and he will rescue you from your enemies.’ ”
40 The people of Israel had refused to listen and made up their own rules, as they had done from the beginning. 41 These ⌞other⌟ nations worshiped the Lord but also served their own idols. So did their children and their grandchildren. They still do whatever their ancestors did.
2 Kings 17
New King James Version
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, (A)Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3 (B)Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea (C)became his vassal, and paid him tribute money. 4 And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
Israel Carried Captive to Assyria(D)
5 Now (E)the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 (F)In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and (G)carried Israel away to Assyria, (H)and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 For (I)so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had (J)feared other gods, 8 and (K)had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves [a]high places in all their cities, (L)from watchtower to fortified city. 10 (M)They set up for themselves sacred pillars and (N)wooden images[b] (O)on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, (P)of which the Lord had said to them, (Q)“You shall not do this thing.”
13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His (R)prophets, (S)every seer, saying, (T)“Turn 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.” 14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but (U)stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who (V)did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they (W)rejected His statutes (X)and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed (Y)idols, (Z)became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should (AA)not do like them. 16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, (AB)made for themselves a molded image and two calves, (AC)made a wooden image and worshiped all the (AD)host of heaven, (AE)and served Baal. 17 (AF)And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, (AG)practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and (AH)sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left (AI)but the tribe of Judah alone.
19 Also (AJ)Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and (AK)delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His (AL)sight. 21 For (AM)He tore Israel from the house of David, and (AN)they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord, and made them commit a great sin. 22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, 23 until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight, (AO)as He had said by all His servants the prophets. (AP)So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24 (AQ)Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, (AR)Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” 28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them (AS)in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. 30 The men of (AT)Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 (AU)and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites (AV)burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the Lord, (AW)and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the [c]high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 (AX)They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.
34 To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, (AY)whom He named Israel, 35 with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: (AZ)“You shall not fear other gods, nor (BA)bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; 36 but the Lord, who (BB)brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and (BC)an outstretched arm, (BD)Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, (BE)you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you, (BF)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 obey, but they followed their former rituals. 41 (BG)So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 17:9 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Kings 17:10 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
- 2 Kings 17:32 Places for pagan worship
2 Reyes 17
Reina Valera Contemporánea
Caída de Samaria y cautiverio de Israel
17 Ajaz tenía doce años de reinar sobre Judá cuando Oseas hijo de Elá comenzó a reinar sobre Israel, y reinó nueve años en Samaria. 2 Pero hizo lo malo a los ojos del Señor, aunque no como los reyes de Israel anteriores a él. 3 El rey Salmanasar de Asiria llegó y lo atacó, y Oseas fue hecho su siervo, y se le obligó a pagar tributo. 4 Pero Oseas envió embajadores al rey So de Egipto, y dejó de pagar tributo al rey de Asiria, como lo hacía cada año; y cuando el rey de Asiria descubrió que Oseas conspiraba contra él, mandó aprehenderlo y le mantuvo cautivo en la cárcel. 5 Luego, el rey de Asiria invadió todo el país y durante tres años mantuvo sitiada a Samaria. 6 A los nueve años del reinado de Oseas el rey de Asiria capturó Samaria y a los israelitas se los llevó cautivos a Asiria, y los dejó en Jalaj y en Jabor, junto al río Gozán, y en las ciudades de los medos.
7 Y es que los hijos de Israel pecaron contra el Señor su Dios, que los libró del poder del rey de Egipto, y rindieron culto a dioses ajenos; 8 imitaron las costumbres de las naciones que el Señor había expulsado de la presencia de los israelitas, y siguieron las malas prácticas de los reyes de Israel. 9 Los israelitas practicaron en secreto cosas que el Señor su Dios no aprobaba; construyeron altares en los montes de todas sus ciudades, y hasta en las torres de las atalayas y en las ciudades fortificadas; 10 erigieron estatuas e imágenes de Asera en toda alta colina y bajo todo árbol frondoso,(A) 11 y en todos los altares de los montes quemaron incienso, como lo hacían las naciones que el Señor había expulsado de su presencia, y provocaron la ira del Señor con las maldades que cometían. 12 Rindieron culto a los ídolos, de los cuales el Señor les había advertido: «Ustedes no deben hacer tales cosas.»
13 El Señor amonestó a Israel y a Judá por medio de todos los profetas y de todos los videntes. Les dijo:
«Apártense de sus malos caminos. Obedezcan mis mandamientos y mis ordenanzas, y sigan todas las leyes que yo prescribí a sus antepasados, y que les he dado a conocer por medio de mis siervos los profetas.»
14 Pero ellos, lejos de obedecer, se encapricharon como antes se encapricharon sus antepasados, los cuales no creyeron en el Señor su Dios. 15 Desecharon los estatutos del Señor y el pacto que había hecho con sus antepasados, así como los testimonios que él les había prescrito, y siguieron a los dioses falsos, con lo que ellos mismos perdieron valor, y siguieron a las naciones a su alrededor, a pesar de que el Señor les había mandado que no las imitaran. 16 Abandonaron todos los mandamientos del Señor su Dios, se hicieron imágenes fundidas de dos becerros,(B) y también imágenes de Asera, y adoraron a todo el ejército de los cielos y rindieron culto a Baal. 17 Incluso llegaron a ofrecer como ofrenda quemada a sus hijos y a sus hijas, y se entregaron a practicar la adivinación y los agüeros.(C) Se entregaron a hacer lo malo a los ojos del Señor, y de esa manera provocaron su ira. 18 Por eso el Señor se enojó en gran manera contra Israel, y los alejó de su presencia, y sólo quedó la tribu de Judá.
19 Pero ni siquiera Judá cumplió los mandamientos del Señor su Dios, sino que siguieron los estatutos que Israel mismo se prescribió. 20 Por eso el Señor desechó a toda la descendencia de Israel, y los afligió y los entregó en manos de saqueadores, hasta echarlos de su presencia.
21 Cuando el Señor apartó a los israelitas de la dinastía de David, ellos proclamaron como su rey a Jeroboán hijo de Nabat, y Jeroboán apartó a Israel de la obediencia al Señor y los hizo cometer grandes pecados. 22 Los israelitas cometieron todos los pecados que cometió Jeroboán, sin apartarse de ellos, 23 hasta que el Señor apartó de su presencia a Israel, tal y como él lo había anunciado por medio de todos los profetas, sus siervos. Fue así como Israel fue llevado cautivo a Asiria, hasta el día de hoy.
Asiria puebla de nuevo a Samaria
24 Entonces el rey de Asiria trajo a las ciudades de Samaria gente de Babilonia, de Cutá, de Avá, de Jamat y de Sefarvayin, para que las habitaran en lugar de los israelitas. Y así, estos extranjeros tomaron posesión de Samaria y habitaron en sus ciudades.
25 Al principio, cuando comenzaron a habitar esas ciudades, como ellos no servían al Señor, el Señor envió contra ellos leones para que los mataran. 26 Entonces ellos le dijeron al rey de Asiria:
«Las gentes que tú trasladaste y pusiste en las ciudades de Samaria, no reconocen la ley del Dios de aquella tierra, y como no la reconocen, su Dios ha lanzado leones en medio de ellos, y los leones los matan.»
27 Entonces el rey de Asiria ordenó:
«Lleven de vuelta a alguno de los sacerdotes que trajeron de allá, y déjenlo vivir allí, para que les enseñe la ley del Dios del país.»
28 Y uno de los sacerdotes que había sido llevado cautivo de Samaria, vino y habitó en Betel, y les enseñó cómo debían servir al Señor.
29 Pero cada nación se hizo sus dioses, y los pusieron en los santuarios que los de Samaria habían levantado en los montes, cada nación en la ciudad donde habitaba. 30 Los de Babilonia hicieron imágenes de Sucot Benot, los de Cutá hicieron imágenes de Nergal, y los de Jamat hicieron imágenes de Asima. 31 Los aveos hicieron imágenes de Nibejaz y de Tartac, y los de Sefarvayin adoraban a Adramelec y a Anamelec, dioses de Sefarvayin, ofreciendo a sus hijos como sacrificios por fuego.
32 Pero esta gente también rendía culto al Señor, así que del bajo pueblo designaron sacerdotes para que ministraran en los altares de los montes, y éstos ofrecían los sacrificios de esa gente en esos santuarios. 33 Rendían culto al Señor, pero también honraban a sus dioses, como acostumbraban hacerlo las naciones de donde habían sido tomados.
34 Hasta el día de hoy, esta gente hace lo que siempre hizo: ni temen al Señor, ni cumplen sus estatutos ni sus ordenanzas, ni hacen lo que la ley y los mandamientos del Señor mandan hacer a los hijos de Jacob, cuyo nombre fue cambiado por el de Israel.(D) 35 Con los israelitas el Señor hizo un pacto, y claramente les ordenó:
«Ustedes no temerán a otros dioses, ni los adorarán, ni les servirán, ni les ofrecerán sacrificios.(E) 36 Sólo me temerán a mí, el Señor, que con gran poder y con brazo extendido los saqué de Egipto. Sólo a mí me temerán(F) y adorarán, y ofrecerán sacrificios. 37 Siempre tendrán cuidado de poner por obra los estatutos, derechos, leyes y mandamientos que yo les di por escrito. No temerán a dioses ajenos. 38 No olvidarán el pacto que yo hice con ustedes, ni temerán a dioses ajenos; 39 me temerán a mí, el Señor su Dios, y yo los libraré del poder de todos sus enemigos.»
40 Pero ellos no escucharon, sino que siguieron practicando sus costumbres antiguas.
41 Esos pueblos temieron al Señor y, al mismo tiempo, sirvieron a sus ídolos. También sus hijos y sus nietos siguieron las prácticas de sus antepasados, y así lo hacen hasta el día de hoy.
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