Promised Faithfulness to the Lord

A Psalm of David.

Assyria Resettles Samaria

^24 (A)Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, ^(B)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 ^(C)in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. ³⁰ The men of ^(D)Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ^31 (E)and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites ^(F)burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² So they feared the Lord, ^(G)and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the ^[a]high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. ^33 (H)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, ^(I)whom He named Israel, ³⁵ with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: ^(J)“You shall not fear other gods, nor ^(K)bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; ³⁶ but the Lord, who ^(L)brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and ^(M)an outstretched arm, ^(N)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, ^(O)you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you, ^(P)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 (Q)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.

The Great Mystery

¹⁴ These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ^[a]ground of the truth. ¹⁶ And without controversy great is the ^[b]mystery of godliness:

The Great Apostasy

4 Now the Spirit ^[d]expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed ^(G)to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ^2 (H)speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience ^(I)seared with a hot iron, ³ forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵ for it is ^[e]sanctified by the word of God and prayer.