2 Kings 17:24-41

Evangelical Heritage Version

New Settlers in Israel

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and he settled them in the cities of Samaria in the place of the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. ²⁵ When they began to settle there, they did not fear the Lord, so the Lord sent lions among them. The lions were killing people, ²⁶ so they said to the king of Assyria, “The peoples whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the customs of the god of the land. That is why he has sent lions among them, and the lions are killing people, because there aren’t any people left who know the customs of the god of the land.”

²⁷ So the king of Assyria commanded, “Get one of the priests who was exiled from there. He will go and live there and teach the customs of the god of the land.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came and lived in Bethel. He was teaching them how they should fear the Lord.

²⁹ But each nation was still making its own gods and setting them in the shrines^[a] of the high places which the Samaritans had made, each nation in their cities where they were dwelling. ³⁰ The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth. The people from Kuth made Nergal. The people from Hamath made Ashima. ³¹ The people from Avvah made Nibhaz and Tartak. The people from Sepharvaim were burning their sons in the fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. ^32 [b]They were fearing the Lord, but they were making priests for their high places from all kinds of people, who were serving them in the shrines on the high places. ³³ They were fearing the Lord, but they were also serving their gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been deported.

³⁴ To this day they are acting according to their former customs. There are none of them who fear the Lord, and there is no one who acts according to the regulations, ordinances, law, and commands which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, to whom he gave the name Israel. ³⁵ The Lord had made a covenant with them and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods. Do not bow down to them. Do not serve them. Do not sacrifice to them. ³⁶ Rather fear the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. Fear him and bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. ³⁷ Keep the regulations, ordinances, law, and commands, which he wrote for you, and do not fear other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not fear other gods. ³⁹ Fear only the Lord your God. He is the one who will save you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ But these nations did not listen. Instead, they acted according to their former customs. ⁴¹ These nations were fearing the Lord, and they were serving their idols. Their children and their grandchildren did just as their fathers had done. They are doing this up to this day.