2 Kings 17172 KingsThe two kingdoms to the fall of SamariaFree Bible Version

Free Bible VersionBerean Standard Bible

1. Hoshea the Last King of Israel

2. 1FBVHoshea, son of Elah, became king of Israel, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for nine years.BSBBSB: In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years.
3. 2FBVHe did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not in the same way as the kings of Israel who were before him.BSBBSB: And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
4. 3FBVShalmaneser, king of Assyria, came and attacked him, and Hoshea submitted to him and paid him tribute.BSBBSB: Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
5. 4FBVBut then the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was being disloyal. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, asking for help, and he also had stopped sending annual tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done previously. So the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.BSBBSB: But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.

6. Israel Carried Captive to Assyria

7. 5FBVThen the king of Assyria invaded the whole country, and attacked Samaria, besieging it for three years.BSBBSB: Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
8. 6FBVIn the ninth year of the reign 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.BSBBSB: In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
9. 7FBVAll this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, the one who had led them out of Egypt, saving them from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods,BSBBSB: All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods
10. 8FBVadopting the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites, and the pagan practices introduced by the kings of Israel.BSBBSB: and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
11. 9FBVSecretly the Israelites did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified cities.BSBBSB: The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.
12. 10FBVThey set up pagan stone pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.BSBBSB: They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
13. 11FBVThey offered sacrifices on all the high places, just like the nations the Lord drove out before them. They did evil things, angering the Lord.BSBBSB: They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.
14. 12FBVThey worshiped idols, even though the Lord had told them, “You are not to do this.”BSBBSB: They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”
15. 13FBVYet the Lord had warned Israel and Judah repeatedly through all his prophets and seers, saying, “Leave your wicked ways and keep my commandments and instructions. Follow the whole law that I ordered your forefathers to obey, and gave to you through my servants the prophets.”BSBBSB: Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”
16. 14FBVBut they refused to listen, and they were as stubborn as their forefathers who did not trust the Lord their God.BSBBSB: But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.
17. 15FBVThey gave up on his regulations and the covenant he had made with their forefathers, as well as the decrees he had given them. They followed pointless idols and they became pointless themselves, copying the nations around them that the Lord ordered them not to copy.BSBBSB: They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.
18. 16FBVThey ignored all the commandments of the Lord their God, and they made themselves two metal idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down in worship to the sun, moon, and stars and served Baal.BSBBSB: They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.
19. 17FBVThey sacrificed their sons and daughters as pagan burnt offerings, and practiced fortune-telling and witchcraft. They gave themselves over to doing what was evil in the Lord's sight, making him angry.BSBBSB: They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
20. 18FBVSo the Lord was extremely angry with Israel, and he banished them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,BSBBSB: So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained,
21. 19FBVbut even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but followed the idolatry that Israel had introduced.BSBBSB: and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.
22. 20FBVThe Lord gave up on all the descendants of Israel. He punished them and handed them over to their enemies, until he had banished them from his presence.BSBBSB: So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.
23. 21FBVWhen the Lord ripped Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from the Lord and made them commit terrible sins.BSBBSB: When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
24. 22FBVThe Israelites continued to practice all the sins that Jeroboam committed. They did not stop doing them,BSBBSB: The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them.
25. 23FBVso the Lord eventually expelled them from his presence, just as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the Israelites were deported from their land and taken to Assyria, where they are to this day.BSBBSB: Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day.

26. Samaria Resettled

27. 24FBVThe king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took over ownership of Samaria and lived in its towns.BSBBSB: Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
28. 25FBVWhen they first started living there they did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions there among them, killing some of them.BSBBSB: Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
29. 26FBVThe king of Assyria was told, “The people that you brought and settled in the towns of Samaria they don't know the rules of the God of the land. As a result, he has sent lions among them, which are killing them off because they don't know what the God of the land requires.”BSBBSB: So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.”
30. 27FBVThe king of Assyria gave the order: “Send back one of the priests you deported from Samaria, and let him go back and live there and teach the rules of the God of the land.”BSBBSB: Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.”
31. 28FBVSo one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned to live in Bethel, and taught them how to worship the Lord.BSBBSB: Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.
32. 29FBVBut the people of the different nations went on making their own gods in the towns where they had settled, and they placed them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.BSBBSB: Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places.
33. 30FBVThose from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima.BSBBSB: The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
34. 31FBVThe Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.BSBBSB: the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim.
35. 32FBVWhile they worshiped the Lord, they also appointed priests from all kinds of their own people to offer sacrifices for them in the shrines of the high places.BSBBSB: So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.
36. 33FBVSo even though they worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their own gods following the practices of the nations they had come from.BSBBSB: They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.
37. 34FBVEven to this day they are still following their former practices. None of them truly worships the Lord or observes the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments that the Lord gave to the descendants of Jacob, the one he named Israel.BSBBSB: To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.
38. 35FBVFor the Lord had made an agreement with the Israelites, ordering them, “Don't worship other gods or bow down to them; don't serve them or offer sacrifices to them.BSBBSB: For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them.
39. 36FBVYou must worship only the Lord, who led you out of Egypt, helping you with his great power and strong arm. Only bow down to him; only offer sacrifices to him.BSBBSB: Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him.
40. 37FBVAlways pay attention to observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments he gave you in writing, and don't worship other gods.BSBBSB: And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
41. 38FBVDon't forget the agreement I have made with you, and don't worship other gods.BSBBSB: Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods,
42. 39FBVYou must worship only the Lord your God, and he will save you from all your enemies.”BSBBSB: but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.”
43. 40FBVBut they refused to listen, and continued their former idolatrous practices.BSBBSB: But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs.
44. 41FBVEven while these people from different nations were worshiping the Lord, they were actually worshiping their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue to do as their forefathers did to this day.BSBBSB: So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.

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