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2 Kings 17:24-41
New English Translation

The King of Assyria Populates Israel with Foreigners

24 The king of Assyria brought foreigners[a] from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria[b] in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 When they first moved in,[c] they did not worship[d] the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them and the lions were killing them. 26 The king of Assyria was told,[e] “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people[f] because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land.” 27 So the king of Assyria ordered, “Take back one of the priests whom you[g] deported from there. He must settle there and teach them the requirements of the God of the land.”[h] 28 So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. He taught them how to worship[i] the Lord.

29 But each of these nations made[j] its own gods and put them in the shrines on the high places that the people of Samaria[k] had made. Each nation did this in the cities where they lived. 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth,[l] the people from Cuth made Nergal,[m] the people from Hamath made Ashima,[n] 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak,[o] and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech,[p] the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 At the same time they worshiped[q] the Lord. They appointed some of their own people to serve as priests in the shrines on the high places.[r] 33 They were worshiping[s] the Lord and at the same time serving their own gods in accordance with the practices of the nations from which they had been deported.

34 To this very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship[t] the Lord; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the Lord gave[u] the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed Israel. 35 The Lord made a covenant with them[v] and instructed them, “You must not worship other gods. Do not bow down to them, serve them, or offer sacrifices to them. 36 Instead you must worship the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability;[w] bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. 37 You must carefully obey at all times the rules, regulations, law, and commandments he wrote down for you. You must not worship other gods. 38 You must never forget the covenant I made with you, and you must not worship other gods. 39 Instead you must worship the Lord your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies.” 40 But they[x] paid no attention; instead they observed their earlier practices. 41 These nations were worshiping the Lord and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons are doing just as their fathers have done, to this very day.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 17:24 tn The object is supplied in the translation.
  2. 2 Kings 17:24 sn In vv. 24-29 Samaria stands for the entire northern kingdom of Israel.
  3. 2 Kings 17:25 tn Heb “in the beginning of their living there.”
  4. 2 Kings 17:25 tn Heb “fear.”
  5. 2 Kings 17:26 tn Heb “and they said to the king of Assyria, saying.” The plural subject of the verb is indefinite.
  6. 2 Kings 17:26 tn Heb “Look, they are killing them.”
  7. 2 Kings 17:27 tc The second plural subject may refer to the leaders of the Assyrian army. However, some prefer to read “whom I deported,” changing the verb to a first person singular form with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix. This reading has some support from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic witnesses.
  8. 2 Kings 17:27 tc Heb “and let them go and let them live there, and let him teach them the requirements of the God of the land.” The two plural verbs seem inconsistent with the preceding and following contexts, where only one priest is sent back to Samaria. The singular has the support of Greek, Syriac, and Latin witnesses.
  9. 2 Kings 17:28 tn Heb “fear.”
  10. 2 Kings 17:29 sn The verb “make” refers to the production of idols. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 210-11.
  11. 2 Kings 17:29 tn Heb “Samaritans.” This refers to the Israelites who had been deported from the land.
  12. 2 Kings 17:30 sn No deity is known by the name Sukkoth Benoth in extant Mesopotamian literature. For speculation as to the identity of this deity, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211.
  13. 2 Kings 17:30 sn Nergal was a Mesopotamian god of the underworld.
  14. 2 Kings 17:30 sn This deity is unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 211-12.
  15. 2 Kings 17:31 sn Nibhaz and Tartak were two Elamite deities. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.
  16. 2 Kings 17:31 sn Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim are unknown in extra-biblical literature. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 212.
  17. 2 Kings 17:32 tn Heb “feared.”
  18. 2 Kings 17:32 tn Heb “and they appointed for themselves from their whole people priests for the high places and they were serving for them in the house[s] of the high places.”
  19. 2 Kings 17:33 tn Heb “fearing.”
  20. 2 Kings 17:34 tn Heb “fear.”
  21. 2 Kings 17:34 tn Heb “commanded.”
  22. 2 Kings 17:35 sn That is, the descendants of Jacob/Israel (see v. 35b).
  23. 2 Kings 17:36 tn Heb “and outstretched arm.”
  24. 2 Kings 17:40 sn This refers to the foreigners whom the king of Assyria settled in the land (see v. 35a).
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2 Kings 17:24-41
Expanded Bible

The Beginning of the Samaritan People

24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and ·put [settled] them in the cities of Samaria to replace the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]. These people took ·over [possession of] Samaria and lived in the cities. 25 At first they did not ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord, so he sent lions among them which killed some of them. 26 The king of Assyria was told, “You ·sent foreigners [deported/exiled/carried nations] into the cities of Samaria who do not know the ·law [custom] of the god of the land. This is why he has sent lions among them. The lions are killing them because they don’t know ·what the god wants [L the law/custom of the god of the land].”

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send back one of the priests you ·took away [carried into exile; deported]. Let him live there and teach the people ·what the god wants [L the law/custom of the god of the land].” 28 So one of the priests who had been carried ·away [into exile] from Samaria returned to live ·in [at] Bethel. And he taught the people how to ·honor [revere; fear] the Lord.

29 But each nation made gods of its own and put them in the cities where they lived and in the ·temples [L houses] ·where gods were worshiped [L of the high places; 12:3]. These ·temples [L houses] had been built by the Samaritans. 30 The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth their god. The people from Cuthah ·worshiped [made] Nergal. The people of Hamath ·worshiped [made] Ashima. 31 The Avvites ·worshiped [made] Nibhaz and Tartak. The Sepharvites burned their children in the fire, sacrificing them to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 They also ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord, but they chose priests for the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; 12:3]. The priests were chosen from among themselves, and they ·made sacrifices [L officiated at the temple/houses of the high places] for the people. 33 The people ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord but also ·served [followed] their own gods, ·just as [L in accordance with the customs of] the nations ·did from which they had been brought [from which they had been exiled]. 34 Even today they ·do as they did in the past [practice their former customs]. They do not ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord nor obey his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands. They do not ·obey [worship nor observe] the ·teachings [law; L torah] or the commands of the Lord, which he gave to the ·children [descendants] of Jacob, whom he had named Israel [Gen. 32:28]. 35 The Lord had made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them and had commanded them, “Do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. Do not bow down to them or ·worship [serve] them or offer sacrifices to them. 36 ·Worship [Revere; Fear] the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and ·strength [L an outstretched arm]. Bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him. 37 Always obey the rules, orders, ·teachings [law; L torah], and commands he wrote for you. Do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. 38 Do not forget the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I made with you, and do not ·honor [revere; fear] other gods. 39 Instead ·worship [revere; fear] the Lord your God, who will ·save [rescue; T deliver] you from all your enemies.”

40 But the Israelites did not listen. They ·kept on doing the same things they had done before [continued in their former practices/custom]. 41 So these nations ·honored [revered; feared] the Lord but also ·worshiped [served] their idols, and their children and grandchildren still do as their ·ancestors [fathers] did.

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