Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

^24 (A)Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, ^[a](B)Avva, ^(C)Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. ²⁵ And at the beginning of their living there, they ^(D)did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them that were killing some of them. ²⁶ So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken 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 killing them because they do not know the custom of the God of the land.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria issued commands, saying, “Take one of the priests there whom you led into ^[b]exile, and have ^[c]him go and live there; and have him teach them the custom of the God of the land.” ²⁸ So one of the priests whom they had led into exile from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they were to fear the Lord.

²⁹ But every nation was still making gods of its own, and they put them ^(E)in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. ^30 (F)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 were burning their children in the fire to ^(H)Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of ^(I)Sepharvaim. ^32 (J)They also feared the Lord and ^[d](K)appointed from their entire population priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. ³³ They feared the Lord, yet they were serving their own gods in accordance with the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken into exile.

³⁴ To this day they act in accordance with the earlier customs: they do not fear the Lord, nor do they ^[e]follow their statutes, their ordinances, the Law, or the commandments which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, ^(L)whom He named Israel. ³⁵ The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, “^(M)You shall not fear other gods, nor ^(N)bow down to them, nor ^(O)serve them, nor sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the Lord, ^(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 bow down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. ³⁷ And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, ^(S)you shall take care to do always; and you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸ The covenant that I have made with you, ^(T)you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. ³⁹ But you shall fear the Lord your God; and He will save you from the hand of all your enemies.” ⁴⁰ However, they did not listen, but they kept acting in accordance with their earlier custom. ^41 (U)So while these nations feared the Lord, they also served their ^[f]idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, just as their fathers did, they do to this day.