2 Kings 17

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

1Ahaz had been king of Judah for twelve years. Then Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel. He ruled in the city of Samaria for nine years.

2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

2Hoshea did what the LORD said was wrong. But he was not as bad as the kings of Israel before him.

3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

3Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, attacked him. Hoshea had to obey him and pay him money each year.

NoteThe KJV says Hoshea "gave him presents." These were not gifts. Assyria forced weaker kings to pay money every year.

4And 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.

4But the king of Assyria found out that Hoshea was making secret plans. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, the king of Egypt. He had also stopped paying the money he owed. So the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.

5Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

5Then the king of Assyria marched through the whole land. He came to Samaria and surrounded it for three years. No one could get in or out.

6In 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.

6In Hoshea's ninth year as king, Assyria captured Samaria. They took the people of Israel away to Assyria. The people were made to live in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in towns of the Medes.

7For 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,

7All this happened because Israel had sinned against the LORD their God. He had brought them out of Egypt, away from Pharaoh the king. But they worshiped other gods instead.

8And 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.

8They lived like the nations God had pushed out of the land. They also copied the new ways their own kings had started.

9And 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.

9The people of Israel secretly did wrong things against the LORD their God. They built places to worship other gods in every town. They built them everywhere, from small watchtowers to big walled cities.

10And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

10They set up stone pillars and wooden poles for other gods. They put them on every high hill and under every green tree.

NoteThe KJV calls these "images and groves." They were stone pillars and tall wooden poles set up to honor false gods.

11And 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:

11At all those places they burned incense, which is sweet-smelling smoke. They did this just like the nations God had driven out. Their evil deeds made the LORD angry.

12For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

12They worshiped idols, even though the LORD had told them, "You must not do this."

13Yet 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.

13Still the LORD warned Israel and Judah again and again. He warned them through his prophets and seers, people who told others what God said. He said, "Turn away from your evil ways. Keep my commands and my rules. Obey the whole law I gave your fathers long ago."

14Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

14But they would not listen. They were stubborn, just like their fathers who did not trust the LORD their God.

15And 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.

15They said no to his rules and to the promise he made with their fathers. They ignored his warnings. They chased after idols that were worth nothing, and they became worth nothing too. They copied the nations around them, though the LORD had told them not to.

16And 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.

16They left behind all the commands of the LORD their God. They made two calves out of melted metal and a pole for a false god. They bowed down to the sun, moon and stars. They also served the god Baal.

17And 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.

17They burned their own sons and daughters in the fire as gifts to gods. They used magic and tried to learn the future. They gave themselves over to doing evil, and this made the LORD angry.

18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

18So the LORD was very angry with Israel. He sent them away from his land and his care. Only the tribe of Judah was left.

19Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

19But even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They lived the same way Israel had lived.

20And 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.

20So the LORD turned away from all the people of Israel. He let them suffer and be robbed by enemies. At last he sent them away from his presence.

21For 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.

21Long before, the LORD had pulled Israel away from David's family. The people made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from the LORD and made them sin greatly.

22For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

22The people of Israel kept doing all the sins Jeroboam had done. They never stopped.

23Until 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.

23At last the LORD sent Israel away from his presence. His prophets had said this would happen. So Israel was taken from their own land to Assyria, and they are still there today.

24And 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.

24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim. He settled them in the towns of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.

25And 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.

25When these new people first lived there, they did not worship the LORD. So the LORD sent lions among them, and the lions killed some of them.

26Wherefore 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.

26So they sent word to the king of Assyria. They said, "The people you moved into Samaria do not know what the God of this land wants. That is why he has sent lions, and the lions are killing them."

27Then 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.

27Then the king of Assyria gave an order. He said, "Send back one of the priests you took from Samaria. Let him live there and teach the people what the God of the land wants."

28Then 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.

28So one of the priests taken from Samaria came back. He lived in Bethel and taught the people how to worship the LORD.

29Howbeit 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.

29But each group of people still made gods of their own. They set them up in the small worship houses the people of Samaria had built. Each group did this in the town where they lived.

30And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

30The men of Babylon made a god called Succoth-benoth. The men of Cuth made Nergal. The men of Hamath made Ashima.

31And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

31The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak. The people of Sepharvaim burned their children in fire to their gods, Adrammelech and Anammelech.

32So 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.

32So they worshiped the LORD too. They picked all kinds of men from among themselves to serve as priests. Those priests offered sacrifices for them at the worship places.

NoteThe KJV says they made priests "of the lowest of them." It means they picked ordinary men, not men from the family God had chosen to be priests.

33They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

33They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods. They kept the customs of the lands they had come from.

NoteIn the KJV, to "fear" the LORD here means to worship him, not to be scared of him.

34Unto 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;

34To this day they still follow their old customs. They do not really worship the LORD. They do not keep the rules, laws and commands the LORD gave to Jacob's family. The LORD gave Jacob the name Israel.

35With 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:

35The LORD had made a promise with the people of Israel. He told them, "Do not worship other gods. Do not bow down to them, serve them, or bring them sacrifices."

36But 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.

36"Worship the LORD instead. He brought you out of Egypt with great power and a strong arm. Bow down to him and bring your offerings to him."

37And 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.

37"Always be careful to obey the rules, laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods."

38And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.

38"Do not forget the promise I made with you. Do not worship other gods."

39But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

39"Worship the LORD your God. He will save you from all your enemies."

40Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

40But the people would not listen. They kept doing what they had always done.

41So 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.

41So these nations worshiped the LORD and also served their carved idols. Their children and grandchildren still do the same thing today.