2 Kings 17 summary meaning ai explained commentary

2 Kings 17 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter details the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the subsequent rise of the Samaritans.

The Fall of Israel (17:1-23):

Sin and Punishment: The chapter begins by highlighting the persistent sin of Hoshea, the last king of Israel, who continued the idolatrous practices of his predecessors, defying God's commands.
Assyrian Conquest: This disobedience leads to God's judgment. The Assyrian king Shalmaneser besieges Samaria, the capital of Israel. After a three-year siege, the city falls.
Exile: The Israelites are brutally defeated and deported to various locations within the Assyrian empire, effectively ending the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Reasons for the Fall: The author emphasizes that Israel's downfall was a direct result of their constant idolatry, rejection of God's laws, and refusal to heed the warnings of the prophets.

The Rise of the Samaritans (17:24-41):

Foreign Resettlement: The Assyrians repopulate the now-vacant Israelite territories with people from various conquered nations.
Religious Syncretism: These foreigners initially struggle with the local deity, believing it to be a god of the land. To address this, the Assyrian king sends back an exiled Israelite priest to teach them about the God of Israel.
Hybrid Religion: The result is a mixed religion where the foreigners worship the God of Israel alongside their own gods, a practice condemned by the author.
The Samaritans: This mixed population eventually becomes known as the Samaritans, forever marked by their unique religious practices and their complicated relationship with the people of Judah.

Key Themes:

Divine Justice: The chapter underscores the principle of divine justice: disobedience to God leads to consequences.
Idolatry: Idolatry is presented as the root cause of Israel's downfall, a recurring theme throughout Kings.
Theological History: The author uses history to teach theological lessons, emphasizing the importance of covenant faithfulness and the dangers of religious compromise.

This chapter serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the importance of remaining faithful to His covenant. It also sets the stage for the complex relationship between the Samaritans and the Jews in later biblical history.

2 Kings 17 bible study ai commentary

The central theme of 2 Kings 17 is divine judgment actualized through exile. It meticulously documents the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel not merely as a geopolitical event but as the direct, predictable, and just consequence of centuries of covenant-breaking idolatry. The chapter functions as a theological post-mortem, detailing Israel's persistent rebellion against God's law and patience, culminating in their removal from the Promised Land and the creation of a syncretistic Samaritan people, a tragic legacy of spiritual compromise.

2 Kings 17 context

The historical context is the height of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (8th century BCE), a dominant and ruthless military power. A key Assyrian imperial policy was mass deportation and population exchange. After conquering a nation, they would deport the elite, military, and skilled craftsmen to other parts of their empire and resettle the emptied land with diverse peoples from elsewhere. This strategy was designed to shatter national identity, break resistance, and ensure loyalty to the Assyrian throne. The events of this chapter are a direct application of this known historical policy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

2 Kings 17:1-6

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and did not bring the tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

In-depth-analysis

Hoshea's Reign: He is the final king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom). The note that his evil was "not as the kings of Israel who were before him" is a faint praise, perhaps suggesting a reduction in the aggressive state-sponsored Baal worship of kings like Ahab. However, he still perpetuated the foundational sin of Jeroboam (illegitimate worship centers).
Vassalage & Conspiracy: Israel was a vassal state to Assyria, meaning they paid heavy tribute (minchah - tribute, offering) for a degree of autonomy. Hoshea's secret appeal to Egypt ("So, king of Egypt") was an act of rebellion, breaking his sworn oath to Shalmaneser V. This political miscalculation provided the immediate justification for Assyria's final invasion.
Three-Year Siege: The length of the siege highlights Samaria's formidable defenses but also the relentless determination of the Assyrian empire.
Deportation: The capture results in exile, fulfilling prophetic warnings. The specific locations mentioned (Halah, Habor, etc.) are in modern-day Syria and Iraq, confirming the Assyrian policy of scattering conquered peoples to prevent regrouping.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 28:36: "The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known..." (Direct prophecy of exile for disobedience).
Hosea 13:16: "Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she has rebelled against her God; they shall fall by the sword..." (Direct prophecy of Samaria's fall).
Amos 5:27: "'Therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus,' says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts." (Specific prophecy of exile).

Cross references

2 Kgs 18:9-12 (parallel account); Isa 7:8 (prophecy of Ephraim's demise); Isa 8:4 (prophecy of Samaria's plunder); Hos 7:11 (Ephraim calling to Egypt & Assyria).

Polemics

Scholars debate the identity of "Shalmaneser." While Shalmaneser V initiated the siege, he died during it. Assyrian records suggest his successor, Sargon II, completed the conquest and claimed the victory, which was common practice for new kings. "So, king of Egypt" is also debated, possibly referring to a delta chieftain or being a transliteration of Sais, an Egyptian city, rather than a pharaoh's name.

2 Kings 17:7-12

And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods. And they had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the statutes that the kings of Israel had made. And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this.”

In-depth-analysis

Theological Pivot: Verse 7 marks a shift from historical narrative to theological explanation. The author becomes a prosecutor, listing the indictments against Israel.
Original Sin of Ingratitude: The charge begins by reminding them of God's foundational act of salvation: the Exodus. Their sin is magnified because it is against their Redeemer.
Imitation of the Canaanites: Israel committed the very sins for which God had judged and driven out the previous inhabitants of the land. This is a profound irony and a direct violation of covenant stipulations.
Comprehensive Idolatry: The idolatry was pervasive ("in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city"), public ("on every high hill"), and adopted pagan furniture ("pillars" - matzevot, standing stones for male deities; "Asherim" - wooden poles for the female consort Asherah).
Word: hevel (idols/wicked things). In verse 15 this is translated as vanity. The root meaning is vapor, or meaninglessness. Israel pursued empty things and became empty.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 12:2-3: "You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations... served their gods, on the high mountains... you shall break down their altars..." (The direct command Israel violated).
Leviticus 18:3: "You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan... and you shall not walk in their statutes." (Direct prohibition against imitating Canaanites).
Exodus 20:3-4: "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image..." (Violation of the first two commandments).

Cross references

Jer 44:23 (sin leads to disaster); Deut 7:5 (commands against pagan items); 1 Kgs 14:23 (Judah commits same sins); Deut 32:16-17 (provoking God with foreign gods).

2 Kings 17:13-17

Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after vanity and became vain, and they went after the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

In-depth-analysis

God's Patience: God's justice is preceded by immense patience. He sent a continuous stream of messengers ("every prophet and every seer"). This refutes any claim that Israel was ignorant of their sin.
"Stubborn" / "Stiff-necked": This is a key metaphor throughout the Old Testament (cf. Exod 32:9). It pictures an ox refusing to be led by a yoke, symbolizing willful, defiant disobedience.
Became Vain: "They went after vanity (hevel) and became vain (wayyehbālu)." This is a powerful play on words. You become like what you worship. By worshiping empty, powerless idols, they became spiritually empty and morally bankrupt.
Catalogue of Sins: The list becomes more specific and heinous: Jeroboam's two calves, Asherah worship, astrology ("host of heaven"), Baal worship, and the ultimate depravity of child sacrifice ("burned their sons and daughters").
"Sold Themselves": This is the antithesis of redemption. God redeemed them from slavery in Egypt; they voluntarily sold themselves into slavery to sin and evil. It signifies a complete and willful transfer of allegiance.

Bible references

Jeremiah 25:4-5: "The LORD sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them... ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way...’” (Echoes God's persistent warnings).
Romans 1:21-23: "...they became futile in their thinking... and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man..." (A parallel pattern of Gentile rebellion).
Deuteronomy 18:10: "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes..." (Direct prohibition of the listed sins).

Cross references

Acts 7:51 ("stiff-necked people"); 1 Kgs 12:28-30 (sin of the two calves); Jer 2:5 (vanity); Ezek 16:20-21 (child sacrifice); Rom 7:14 (sold under sin).

2 Kings 17:18-23

Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only. Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes that Israel had made. And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight. When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin. The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

In-depth-analysis

"Removed them out of his sight": This is language of divine excommunication. The Promised Land was the place of God's special presence; exile is removal from that presence. It echoes God's punishment of Cain (Gen 4:14).
Judah's Culpability: The author inserts a crucial warning (v. 19). The Southern Kingdom of Judah is not righteous; they are following the same disastrous path. This foreshadows their own exile to Babylon detailed later in 2 Kings.
Root of the Problem: The author traces the apostasy back to its political and spiritual origin: the tearing of the kingdom from the house of David and the institutionalized idolatry of Jeroboam's golden calves, which was designed to prevent the people from returning to Jerusalem to worship.
"To this day": This phrase indicates the permanence of the exile at the time of the author's writing, likely during Judah's own exile. The ten northern tribes were effectively lost.

Bible references

1 Kings 11:11-13: "Therefore the LORD said to Solomon... 'I will surely tear the kingdom from you... However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son...'" (Prophecy of the split).
1 Kings 12:28-30: "So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, 'You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel...'" (The original sin of the Northern Kingdom).
Hosea 1:9: "And the LORD said, 'Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.'" (Theological statement of the broken covenant).

Cross references

Jer 3:8 (Israel's unfaithfulness as a warning); Lam 5:22 (rejection); Ps 78:56-61 (rejection of Shiloh as a parallel); Amos 9:8 (destroy sinful kingdom).

2 Kings 17:24-33

And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. ... So they taught them how they should fear the LORD. ... So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

In-depth-analysis

Population Exchange: Verse 24 is a textbook example of Assyrian policy. The diverse origins of the settlers ensured there was no common history or identity to fuel a future rebellion.
"The Law of the God of the Land": The Assyrians interpreted the lion attacks through their own worldview. They saw Yahweh not as the transcendent Creator, but as a local, territorial deity whose protocols had been violated. Their solution was pragmatic: appease this local god.
A Corrupt Teacher: The irony is acute. They send back one of the exiled Israelite priests to teach the newcomers. This priest, however, comes from the syncretistic and illegitimate northern priesthood established by Jeroboam. He could only teach a corrupted version of Yahweh worship.
Syncretism Defined: Verse 33 is one of the most important verses for understanding religious syncretism. "They feared the LORD but also served their own gods." It describes a religion where Yahweh is added to a pantheon of other gods. To the biblical author, this is not true fear of the Lord at all.

Bible references

John 4:9: "...(for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans)." (The result of this resettlement was the Samaritan people, who were viewed by Jews as religiously and ethnically mixed).
Leviticus 26:22: "And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall rob you of your children..." (Wild animals as a covenant curse for disobedience).
Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Articulates the impossibility of the syncretism described in v. 33).

Cross references

Ezra 4:2, 9-10 (later descendants of these people claim to worship God but oppose the returning Jews); Lev 17:7 (no more sacrificing to goat demons).

Polemics

This section is a direct polemic against Samaritan religion from a Judean perspective. It traces their origins to displaced pagans and a corrupt priesthood, arguing that their claim to worship Yahweh is illegitimate because it is hopelessly mixed with paganism. This explains the deep-seated animosity seen in the New Testament.

2 Kings 17:34-41

To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. The LORD had made a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. ... You shall not fear other gods. ... But they did not listen, and they did according to their former manner. So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children and their children’s children are still doing as their fathers did, to this day.

In-depth-analysis

The Author's Verdict: This final section is a theological summary judgment. The author clarifies that the "fear of the LORD" practiced by the Samaritans (v. 33) is not true fear at all, because it is divorced from obedience to God's exclusive covenant commands.
True Fear = Exclusive Obedience: The author relentlessly repeats the core of the covenant: exclusive worship. He defines what true "fear of the LORD" looks like—it is obeying His command to have no other gods. Any addition nullifies the whole.
Covenant Reminder: The mention of "Jacob, whom he named Israel" is a poignant reminder of the covenant relationship that the Northern Kingdom squandered and these new inhabitants have no part in.
Generational Corruption: Verse 41 provides a tragic conclusion. The syncretism was not a temporary phase but became an enduring, multi-generational reality, solidifying the division between them and the Jews. "To this day" emphasizes the ongoing nature of this spiritual failure at the time of writing.

Bible references

John 4:22: "Jesus said to her, 'You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.'" (Jesus directly addresses the faulty foundation of Samaritan worship explained here).
Exodus 20:5: "...for I the LORD your God am a jealous God..." (The theological basis for the command of exclusive worship).
Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart..." (The Shema, the core confession of exclusive Israelite faith, which was violated).

Cross references

Josh 24:14-15 (Choose this day whom you will serve); 1 Cor 10:21 (cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons); Judg 2:10-13 (similar cycle of apostasy in an earlier era).

2 Kings chapter 17 analysis

Prophetic Lawsuit: The chapter is structured like a formal covenant lawsuit (rîb). It presents a history (vv. 1-6), followed by an indictment listing the specific covenant violations (vv. 7-17), and finally the pronouncement and execution of the sentence of exile (v. 18).
The Origin of the Samaritans: This chapter provides the official Judean scriptural explanation for the origin of the Samaritan people and their "flawed" religion. It is a theological history written to delegitimize their claims to be true worshipers of Yahweh, framing them as the product of pagan resettlement and syncretism.
Land Theology: The chapter demonstrates a powerful theology of the Promised Land. The land itself belongs to the LORD, and it "vomits out" inhabitants who defile it with sin (cf. Lev 18:28), whether they be Canaanites or Israelites. God's judgment by lions (v. 25) shows His continued sovereignty over the land even after its rightful inhabitants are exiled.
The Unlearned Lesson: The meticulous detail of Israel's fall serves as a stark and ominous warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which, as the author notes (v. 19), was already "walking in the statutes that Israel had made." The fall of Samaria was not a lesson Judah would heed, leading to their own eventual exile.
Biblical Completions: The identity of the exiled priest who teaches the new inhabitants is not named. He is, however, a product of the idolatrous system from Bethel or Dan (1 Kgs 12), not the true Levitical priesthood in Jerusalem. The "law of the god of the land" he teaches is therefore a distorted copy, leading directly to the syncretism that Jesus confronts in John 4.

2 Kings chapter 17 summary

The chapter chronicles the final days of the Northern Kingdom of Israel under King Hoshea. Due to a rebellious political alliance with Egypt, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V besieges and captures the capital, Samaria, deporting the Israelite population. The author then provides a detailed theological explanation for this catastrophe, listing Israel's centuries of ingratitude, pervasive idolatry, and rejection of prophetic warnings. In place of the exiled Israelites, the Assyrians resettle the land with foreigners who, after being plagued by lions, adopt a syncretistic religion, attempting to worship both Yahweh and their native gods. This act creates the Samaritan people and establishes a legacy of corrupted worship that defines them for centuries.

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2 Kings chapter 17 kjv

¹ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
² And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
³ Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
⁴ And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
⁵ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
⁷ For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
⁸ And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
⁹ And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
¹⁰ And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
¹¹ And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
¹² For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
¹³ Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
¹⁴ Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
¹⁶ And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
¹⁷ And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
¹⁸ Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
¹⁹ Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
²⁰ And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
²¹ For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
²² For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
²³ Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
²⁴ And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
²⁵ And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
²⁶ Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner 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 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
³⁰ And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
³¹ And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
³² So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
³³ They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
³⁴ Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
³⁵ With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
³⁶ But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
³⁷ And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
³⁹ But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
⁴⁰ Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
⁴¹ So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

2 Kings chapter 17 nkjv

¹ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.
² And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
³ Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal, and paid him tribute money.
⁴ And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
⁵ Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
⁷ For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,
⁸ and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
⁹ Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
¹⁰ They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree.
¹¹ There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger,
¹² for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."
¹³ Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."
¹⁴ Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them.
¹⁶ So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
¹⁷ And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
¹⁸ Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.
¹⁹ Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
²⁰ And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight.
²¹ For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.
²² For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them,
²³ until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.
²⁴ Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, 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 in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt.
³⁰ The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
³¹ and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
³² So they feared the LORD, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.
³³ 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, whom He named Israel,
³⁵ with whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying: "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;
³⁶ but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, 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, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.
³⁸ And the covenant that I have made with you, 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 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.

2 Kings chapter 17 niv

¹ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.
² He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
³ Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser's vassal and had paid him tribute.
⁴ But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.
⁵ The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods
⁸ and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.
⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.
¹⁰ They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.
¹¹ At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the LORD's anger.
¹² They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, "You shall not do this."
¹³ The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets."
¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do."
¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.
¹⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.
¹⁸ So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,
¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.
²⁰ Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.
²¹ When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
²² The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them
²³ until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.
²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.
²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires."
²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: "Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires."
²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the LORD.
²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places.
³⁰ The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima;
³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.
³² They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.
³³ They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
³⁴ To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
³⁵ When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.
³⁶ But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.
³⁷ You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.
³⁹ Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."
⁴⁰ They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.
⁴¹ Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

2 Kings chapter 17 esv

¹ In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years.
² And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
³ Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
⁴ But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
⁵ Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
⁷ And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods
⁸ and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.
⁹ And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
¹⁰ They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,
¹¹ and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger,
¹² and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this."
¹³ Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets."
¹⁴ But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.
¹⁶ And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.
¹⁷ And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
¹⁸ Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.
¹⁹ Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced.
²⁰ And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
²¹ When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit great sin.
²² The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them,
²³ until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
²⁴ And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
²⁵ And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
²⁶ So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land."
²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land."
²⁸ So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
²⁹ But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived.
³⁰ 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 the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
³² They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.
³³ So they feared the LORD but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
³⁴ To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
³⁵ The LORD made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them,
³⁶ but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice.
³⁷ And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do. You shall not fear other gods,
³⁸ and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods,
³⁹ but you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies."
⁴⁰ However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.
⁴¹ So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children ? as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

2 Kings chapter 17 nlt

¹ Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years.
² He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.
³ King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.
⁴ But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria's power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison.
⁵ Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria.
⁶ Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
⁷ This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
⁸ They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.
⁹ The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city.
¹⁰ They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree.
¹¹ They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD's anger.
¹² Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the LORD's specific and repeated warnings.
¹³ Again and again the LORD had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: "Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees ? the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets."
¹⁴ But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the LORD their God.
¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD's command not to imitate them.
¹⁶ They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.
¹⁷ They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger.
¹⁸ Because the LORD was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land.
¹⁹ But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the LORD their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced.
²⁰ The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.
²¹ For when the LORD tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.
²² And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sins
²³ until the LORD finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.
²⁴ The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
²⁵ But since these foreign settlers did not worship the LORD when they first arrived, the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
²⁶ So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: "The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly."
²⁷ The king of Assyria then commanded, "Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land."
²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD.
²⁹ But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built.
³⁰ Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.
³¹ The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
³² These new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship.
³³ And though they worshiped the LORD, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came.
³⁴ And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the LORD and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.
³⁵ For the LORD had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them.
³⁶ But worship only the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him.
³⁷ Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.
³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.
³⁹ You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies."
⁴⁰ But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices.
⁴¹ So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.