Exiled Men in the Cities of Samaria

^24 (A)And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ^[a](B)Avva and from ^(C)Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. ²⁵ Now it happened at the beginning of their settlement there, that they ^(D)did not fear Yahweh; therefore Yahweh sent lions among them which were killing them. ²⁶ So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken away into exile and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are putting them to death because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you took away into ^[b]exile and let ^[c]him go and live there; and let him instruct them the custom of the god of the land.” ²⁸ So one of the priests whom they had taken away into exile from Samaria came and settled at Bethel, and instructed them how they should fear Yahweh.

²⁹ But each nation was still making gods of its own and put them ^(E)in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, each nation in their cities in which they lived. ^30 (F)And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹ and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and ^(G)the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to ^(H)Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the ^(I)Sepharvaim. ^32 (J)They were also fearing Yahweh and ^[d](K)appointed from among all of themselves priests of the high places, and they were acting for them in the houses of the high places. ³³ They were fearing Yahweh and serving their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken away into exile.

³⁴ To this day they are acting according to the earlier customs: they are not fearing Yahweh; they are not acting according to their statutes or their judgments or the law, or the commandment which Yahweh commanded the sons of Jacob, ^(L)whom He named Israel; ³⁵ with whom Yahweh cut a covenant and commanded them, saying, “^(M)You shall not fear other gods, nor ^(N)worship them nor ^(O)serve them nor sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But Yahweh, ^(P)who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with ^(Q)an outstretched arm, ^(R)Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall sacrifice. ³⁷ And the statutes and the judgments and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ^(S)you shall be careful to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸ And the covenant that I have cut with you, ^(T)you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. ³⁹ But Yahweh your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” ⁴⁰ However, they did not listen, but they were acting according to their earlier custom. ^41 (U)So while these nations were fearing Yahweh, they also were serving their graven images; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers acted, so they are acting this way to this day.