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The Fourth
Book of Kings 17
In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda, Osee the
son of Ela reigned in Samaria over Israel nine years.
And he did evil before the Lord: but not as the kings
of Israel that had been before him.
Against him came up Salmanasar king of the Assyrians,
and Osee became his servant, and paid him tribute.
And when the king of the Assyrians found that Osee endeavouring
to rebel had sent messengers to Sua the king of Egypt,
that he might not pay tribute to the king of the Assyrians,
as he had done every year, he besieged him, bound him,
and cast him into prison,
And he went through all the land: and going up to Samaria,
he besieged it three years.
And in the ninth year of Osee, the king of the Assyrians
took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria: and
he placed them in Hala and Habor by the river of Gozan,
in the cities of the Medes.
For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned
against the Lord their God, who brought them out of
the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king
of Egypt, and they worshipped strange gods.
And they walked according to the way of the nations
which the Lord had destroyed in the sight of the children
of Israel and of the kings of Israel: because they had
done in like manner.
And the children of Israel offended the Lord their God
with things that were not right: and built them high
places in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen
to the fenced city.
And they made them statues and groves on every high
hill, and under every shady tree:
And they burnt incense there upon altars after the manner
of the nations which the Lord had removed from their
face: and they did wicked things, provoking the Lord.
And they worshipped abominations, concerning which the
Lord had commanded them that they should not do this
thing.
And the Lord testified to them in Israel and in Juda
by the hand of all the prophets and seers, saying: Return
from your wicked ways, and keep my precepts, and ceremonies,
according to all the law which I commanded your fathers:
and as I have sent to you in the hand of my servants
the prophets.
And they hearkened not, but hardened their necks like
to the neck of their fathers, who would not obey the
Lord their God.
And they rejected his ordinances and the covenant that
he made with their fathers, and the testimonies which
he testified against them: and they followed vanities,
and acted vainly: and they followed the nations that
were round about them, concerning which the Lord had
commanded them that they should not do as they did.
And they forsook all the precepts of the Lord their
God: and made to themselves two molten calves, and groves,
and adored all the host of heaven: and they served Baal.
And consecrated their sons, and their daughters through
fire: and they gave themselves to divinations, and soothsayings:
and they delivered themselves up to do evil before the
Lord, to provoke him.
And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed
them from his sight, and there remained only the tribe
of Juda.
But neither did Juda itself keep the commandments of
the Lord their God: but they walked in the errors of
Israel, which they had wrought.
And the Lord cast off all the seed of Israel, and afflicted
them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, till
he cast them away from his face:
Even from that time, when Israel was rent from the house
of David, and made Jeroboam son of Nabat their king:
for Jeroboam separated Israel from the Lord, and made
them commit a great sin.
And the children of Israel walked in all the sins of
Jeroboam, which he had done: and they departed not from
them,
Till the Lord removed Israel from his face, as he had
spoken in the hand of all his servants the prophets:
and Israel was carried away out of their land to Assyria,
unto this day.
And the king of the Assyrians brought people from Babylon,
and from Cutha, and from Avah, and from Emath, 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.
And when they began to dwell there, they feared not
the Lord: and the Lord sent lions among them, which
killed them.
And it was told the king of the Assyrians, and it was
said: The nations which thou hast removed, and made
to dwell in the cities of Samaria, know not the ordinances
of the God of the land: and the Lord hath sent lions
among them: and behold they kill them, because they
know not the manner of the God of the land.
And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying: Carry
thither one of the priests whom you brought from thence
captive, and let him go, and dwell with them: and let
him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.
So one of the priests who had been carried away captive
from Samaria, came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them
how they should worship the Lord.
And every nation made gods of their own, and put them
in the temples of the high places, which the Samaritans
had made, every nation in their cities where they dwelt.
For the men of Babylon made Sochothbenoth: and the Cuthites
made Nergel: and the men of Emath made Asima.
And the Hevites made Nebahaz and Tharthac. And they
that were of Sepharvaim burnt their children in fire,
to Adramelech and Anamelech the gods of Sepharvaim.
And nevertheless they worshipped the Lord. And they
made to themselves, of the lowest of the people, priests
of the high places, and they placed them in the temples
of the high places.
And when they worshipped the Lord, they served also
their own gods according to the custom of the nations
out of which they were brought to Samaria:
Unto this day they followed the old manner: they fear
not the Lord, neither do they keep his ceremonies, and
judgments, and law, and the commandment, which the Lord
commanded the children of Jacob, whom he surnamed Israel:
With whom he made a covenant, and charged them, saying:
You shall not fear strange gods, nor shall you adore
them, nor worship them, nor sacrifice to them.
But the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt with great power, and a stretched out arm,
him shall you fear, and him shall you adore, and to
him shall you sacrifice.
And the ceremonies, and judgments, and law, and the
commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe
to do them always: and you shall not fear strange gods.
And the covenant that he made with you, you shall not
forget: neither shall ye worship strange gods,
But fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you
out of the hand of all your enemies.
But they did not hearken, but did according to their
old custom.
So these nations feared the Lord, but nevertheless served
also their idols: their children also and grandchildren,
as their fathers did, so do they unto this day. |
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