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2 Kings 15-17
Contemporary English Version

King Azariah of Judah

(2 Chronicles 26.1-23)

15 Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah in Jeroboam's twenty-seventh year as king of Israel. 2 He was only 16 years old when he became king, and he ruled 52 years from Jerusalem, which was also the hometown of his mother Jecoliah.

3 Azariah obeyed the Lord by doing right, as his father Amaziah had done. 4 But Azariah did not destroy the local shrines,[a] and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.

5 The Lord punished Azariah with leprosy[b] for the rest of his life. He wasn't allowed to live in the royal palace, so his son Jotham lived there and ruled in his place.

6 Everything else Azariah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 7 (A) Azariah died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Jotham then became king.

King Zechariah of Israel

8 Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah's rule in Judah, but he ruled only six months from Samaria. 9 Like his ancestors, Zechariah disobeyed the Lord by following the evil ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

10 Shallum son of Jabesh plotted against Zechariah and killed him in public.[c] Shallum then became king. 11-12 (B) So the Lord had kept his promise to Jehu that the next four kings of Israel would come from his family.[d]

Everything else Zechariah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Shallum of Israel

13 Shallum became king of Israel in the thirty-ninth year of Azariah's[e] rule in Judah. But only one month after Shallum became king, 14-16 Menahem son of Gadi came to Samaria from Tirzah and killed him. Menahem then became king. The town of Tiphsah would not surrender to him, so he destroyed it and all the surrounding towns as far as Tirzah. He killed everyone living in Tiphsah, and with his sword he even ripped open pregnant women.

Everything else Shallum did while he was king, including his plot against Zechariah, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Menahem of Israel

17 Menahem became king of Israel in Azariah's thirty-ninth year as king of Judah, and he ruled Israel ten years from Samaria. 18 He constantly disobeyed the Lord by following the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

19 During Menahem's rule, King Tiglath Pileser[f] of Assyria invaded Israel. He agreed to help Menahem keep control of his kingdom, if Menahem would pay him over 34 tons of silver. 20 So Menahem ordered every rich person in Israel to give him at least 50 pieces of silver, and he gave it all to Tiglath Pileser, who stopped his attack and left Israel.

21 Everything else Menahem did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 22 Menahem died, and his son Pekahiah became king.

King Pekahiah of Israel

23 Pekahiah became king of Israel in the fiftieth year of Azariah's rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria. 24 He disobeyed the Lord and caused the Israelites to sin, just as Jeroboam son of Nebat had done.

25 Pekah son of Remaliah was Pekahiah's chief officer, but he made plans to kill the king. So he and 50 men from Gilead broke into the strongest part of the palace in Samaria and murdered Pekahiah, together with Argob and Arieh.[g] Pekah then became king.

26 Everything else Pekahiah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Pekah of Israel

27 Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Azariah's fifty-second year as king of Judah, and he ruled 20 years from Samaria. 28 He disobeyed the Lord and followed the evil example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused the Israelites to sin.

29 During Pekah's rule, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria marched into Israel. He captured the territories of Gilead and Galilee, including the towns of Ijon, Abel-Bethmaacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor, as well as the entire territory of Naphtali. Then he took Israelites from those regions to Assyria as prisoners.[h]

30 In the twentieth year of Jotham's rule in Judah, Hoshea son of Elah plotted against Pekah and murdered him. Hoshea then became king of Israel.

31 Everything else Pekah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Jotham of Judah

(2 Chronicles 27.1-9)

32 Jotham son of Azariah[i] became king of Judah in the second year of Pekah's rule in Israel. 33 Jotham was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled 16 years from Jerusalem. His mother Jerusha was the daughter of Zadok.

34 Jotham followed the example of his father by obeying the Lord and doing right. 35 It was Jotham who rebuilt the Upper Gate that led into the court around the Lord's temple. But the local shrines were not destroyed, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.

36 Everything else Jotham did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 37 During his rule, the Lord let King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel start attacking Judah. 38 Jotham died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Ahaz became king.

King Ahaz of Judah

(2 Chronicles 28.1-27)

16 Ahaz son of Jotham became king of Judah in the seventeenth year of Pekah's rule in Israel. 2 He was 20 years old at the time, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 16 years.

Ahaz wasn't like his ancestor David. Instead, he disobeyed the Lord 3 (C) and was even more sinful than the kings of Israel. He sacrificed his own son, which was a disgusting custom of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel. 4 Ahaz offered sacrifices at the local shrines, as well as on every hill and in the shade of large trees.

5-6 (D) While Ahaz was ruling Judah, the king of Edom recaptured the town of Elath from Judah and forced out the people of Judah. Edomites[j] then moved into Elath, and they still live there.

About the same time, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel marched to Jerusalem and attacked, but they could not capture it.

7 Ahaz sent a message to King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria that said, “Your Majesty, King Rezin and King Pekah are attacking me, your loyal servant. Please come and rescue me.” 8 Along with the message, Ahaz sent silver and gold from the Lord's temple and from the palace treasury as a gift for the Assyrian king.

9 As soon as Tiglath Pileser received the message, he and his troops marched to Syria. He captured the capital city of Damascus, then he took the people living there to the town of Kir as prisoners and killed King Rezin.[k]

10 Later, Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath Pileser. And while Ahaz was there, he saw an altar and sent a model of it back to Uriah the priest, along with the plans for building one. 11 Uriah followed the plans and built an altar exactly like the one in Damascus, finishing it just before Ahaz came back.

12 When Ahaz returned, he went to see the altar and to offer sacrifices on it. He walked up to the altar 13 and poured wine over it. Then he offered sacrifices to please the Lord, to give him thanks, and to ask for his blessings.[l] 14 (E) After that, he had the bronze altar moved aside,[m] so his new altar would be right in front of the Lord's temple. 15 He told Uriah the priest:

From now on, the morning and evening sacrifices as well as all gifts of grain and wine are to be offered on this altar. The sacrifices for the people and for the king must also be offered here. Sprinkle the blood from all the sacrifices on it, but leave the bronze altar for me to use for prayer and finding out what God wants me to do.

16 Uriah did everything Ahaz told him.

17 (F) Ahaz also had the side panels and the small bowls taken off the movable stands in the Lord's temple. He had the large bronze bowl, called the Sea, removed from the bronze bulls on which it rested and had it placed on a stand made of stone. 18 He took down the special tent that was used for worship on the Sabbath[n] and closed up the private entrance that the kings of Judah used for going into the temple. He did all these things to please Tiglath Pileser.

19 Everything else Ahaz did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 20 (G) Ahaz died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem,[o] and his son Hezekiah became king.

King Hoshea of Israel

17 Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in the twelfth year of Ahaz's rule in Judah, and he ruled nine years from Samaria. 2 Hoshea disobeyed the Lord and sinned, but not as much as the earlier Israelite kings had done.

3 During Hoshea's rule, King Shalmaneser of Assyria[p] invaded Israel; he took control of the country and made Hoshea pay taxes. 4 But later, Hoshea refused to pay the taxes and asked King So of Egypt to help him rebel. When Shalmaneser found out, he arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.

Samaria Is Destroyed and the Israelites Are Taken to Assyria

5 Shalmaneser invaded Israel and attacked the city of Samaria for three years, 6 before capturing it in the ninth year of Hoshea's rule. The Assyrian king[q] took the Israelites away to Assyria as prisoners. He forced some of them to live in the town of Halah, others to live near the Habor River in the territory of Gozan, and still others to live in towns where the Median people lived.

7 All of this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had rescued them from Egypt, where they had been slaves. They worshiped foreign gods, 8 followed the customs of the nations that the Lord had forced out of Israel, and were just as sinful as the Israelite kings. 9 Even worse, the Israelites tried to hide their sins from the Lord their God. They built their own local shrines everywhere in Israel—from small towns to large, walled cities. 10 (H) They also built stone images of foreign gods and set up sacred poles[r] for the worship of Asherah on every hill and under every shady tree. 11 They offered sacrifices at the shrines,[s] just as the foreign nations had done before the Lord forced them out of Israel. They did sinful things that made the Lord very angry.

12 Even though the Lord had commanded the Israelites not to worship idols,[t] they did it anyway. 13 So the Lord made sure that every prophet warned Israel and Judah with these words: “I, the Lord, command you to stop doing sinful things and start obeying my laws and teachings! I gave them to your ancestors, and I told my servants the prophets to repeat them to you.”

14 But the Israelites would not listen; they were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to worship the Lord their God. 15 They ignored the Lord's warnings and commands, and they rejected the solemn agreement he had made with their ancestors. They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves. The Lord had told the Israelites not to do the things that the foreign nations around them were doing, but Israel became just like them.

16 (I) The people of Israel disobeyed all the commands of the Lord their God. They made two gold statues of calves and set up a sacred pole for Asherah; they also worshiped the stars and the god Baal. 17 (J) They used magic and witchcraft and even sacrificed their own children. The Israelites were determined to do whatever the Lord hated. 18 The Lord became so furious with the people of Israel that he allowed them to be carried away as prisoners.

Only the people living in Judah were left, 19 but they also disobeyed the Lord's commands and acted like the Israelites. 20 So the Lord turned his back on everyone in Israel and let them be punished and defeated until no one was left.

21 Earlier, when the Lord took the northern tribes away from David's family,[u] the people living in northern Israel chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. Jeroboam caused the Israelites to sin and to stop worshiping the Lord. 22 The people kept on sinning like Jeroboam, 23 until the Lord got rid of them, just as he had warned his servants the prophets.

That's why the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners to Assyria, and that's where they remained.

Foreigners Are Resettled in Israel

24 The king of Assyria took people who were living in the cities of Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and forced them to move to Israel. They took over the towns where the Israelites had lived, including the capital city of Samaria.

25 At first these people did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions to attack them, and the lions killed some of them. 26 A messenger told the king of Assyria, “The people you moved to Israel don't know how to worship the god of that country. So he sent lions that have attacked and killed some of them.”

27 The king replied, “Get one of the Israelite priests we brought here and send him back to Israel. He can live there and teach them about the god of that country.” 28 One of the Israelite priests was chosen to go back to Israel. He lived in Bethel and taught the people how to worship the Lord.

29 But in towns all over Israel, the different groups of people made statues of their own gods, then they placed these idols in local Israelite[v] shrines. 30 The people from Babylonia made the god Succoth-Benoth; those from Cuthah made the god Nergal; those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 those from Avva made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the people from Sepharvaim sacrificed their children to their own gods Adrammelech and Anammelech. 32-33 They worshiped their own gods, just as they had before they were taken away to Israel. They also worshiped the Lord, but they chose their own people to be priests at the shrines. 34 (K) Everyone followed their old customs. None of them worshiped only the Lord, and they refused to obey the laws and commands that the Lord had given to the descendants of Jacob, the man he named Israel. 35 (L) At the time when the Lord had made his solemn agreement with the people of Israel, he told them:

Do not worship any other gods! Do not bow down to them or offer them a sacrifice. 36 (M) Worship only me! I am the one who rescued you from Egypt with my mighty power. Bow down to me and offer sacrifices. 37 Never worship any other god, always obey my laws and teachings, 38 and remember the solemn agreement between us.

I will say it again: Do not worship any god 39 except me. I am the Lord your God, and I will rescue you from all your enemies.

40 But the people living in Israel ignored that command and kept on following their old customs. 41 They did worship the Lord, but they also worshiped their own idols. Their descendants did the same thing.

Footnotes

  1. 15.4 local shrines: See the note at 12.3.
  2. 15.5 leprosy: See the note at 5.1.
  3. 15.10 in public: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation “in Ibleam.”
  4. 15.11,12 So the Lord … family: See 10.28-31.
  5. 15.13 Azariah's: The Hebrew text has “Uzziah's,” another spelling of the name.
  6. 15.19 Tiglath Pileser: The Hebrew text has “Pul,” another name for Tiglath Pileser, who ruled Assyria from 745 to 727 b.c.
  7. 15.25 together with Argob and Arieh: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  8. 15.29 prisoners: The events in this verse probably took place around 733 b.c.
  9. 15.32 Azariah: See the note at 15.13.
  10. 16.5,6 the king of Edom … Edomites: The Hebrew text has “King Rezin of Syria … Syrians”; in Hebrew, there is only one letter difference between “Edom” and “Aram,” which is the usual Hebrew name for Syria in the Bible (see also 2 Chronicles 28.17).
  11. 16.9 King Rezin: This probably took place around 734 b.c., before the events in 15.29.
  12. 16.13 offered … blessings: In traditional translations, these sacrifices are usually called “whole burnt offerings,” “grain offerings,” and “peace offerings.” These are described in Leviticus 1–3.
  13. 16.14 aside: Hebrew “to the north.”
  14. 16.18 the special tent … Sabbath: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  15. 16.20 Jerusalem: See the note at 8.24.
  16. 17.3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria: The son of Tiglath Pileser, who ruled Assyria from 727 to 722 b.c.
  17. 17.6 The Assyrian king: Probably Sargon, Shalmaneser's successor. Shalmaneser died after the city of Samaria was captured (722 b.c.) but before the people were taken away as prisoners (720 b.c.). Sargon ruled Assyria from 721 to 705 b.c.
  18. 17.10 sacred poles: See the note at 13.6,7.
  19. 17.11 shrines: See the note at 12.3.
  20. 17.12 the Lord … idols: See Exodus 20.4,5.
  21. 17.21 when the Lord … family: See 1 Kings 11.29-39.
  22. 17.29 Israelite: The Hebrew text has “Samaritan,” which is a later word to describe the people who lived in northern Israel at this time.
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2 Kings 15-17
New International Version

Azariah King of Judah(A)

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah[a](B) son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right(C) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 The Lord afflicted(D) the king with leprosy[b] until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.[c](E) Jotham(F) the king’s son had charge of the palace(G) and governed the people of the land.

6 As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 7 Azariah rested(H) with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham(I) his son succeeded him as king.

Zechariah King of Israel

8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. 9 He did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

10 Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people,[d] assassinated(K) him and succeeded him as king. 11 The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annals(L) of the kings of Israel. 12 So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:(M) “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”[e]

Shallum King of Israel

13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria(N) one month. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah(O) up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated(P) him and succeeded him as king.

15 The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals(Q) of the kings of Israel.

16 At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah(R) and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open(S) their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

Menahem King of Israel

17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18 He did evil(T) in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

19 Then Pul[f](U) king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents[g] of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels[h] of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew(V) and stayed in the land no longer.

21 As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 22 Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

Pekahiah King of Israel

23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 Pekahiah did evil(W) in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. 25 One of his chief officers, Pekah(X) son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated(Y) Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

26 The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

Pekah King of Israel

27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah(Z) son of Remaliah(AA) became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

29 In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser(AB) king of Assyria came and took Ijon,(AC) Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,(AD) and deported(AE) the people to Assyria. 30 Then Hoshea(AF) son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated(AG) him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

31 As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals(AH) of the kings of Israel?

Jotham King of Judah(AI)

32 In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham(AJ) son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 34 He did what was right(AK) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 The high places,(AL) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate(AM) of the temple of the Lord.

36 As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 37 (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin(AN) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) 38 Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

Ahaz King of Judah(AO)

16 In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz(AP) son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right(AQ) in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel(AR) and even sacrificed his son(AS) in the fire, engaging in the detestable(AT) practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense(AU) at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.(AV)

5 Then Rezin(AW) king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. 6 At that time, Rezin(AX) king of Aram recovered Elath(AY) for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

7 Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser(AZ) king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save(BA) me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift(BB) to the king of Assyria. 9 The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus(BC) and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir(BD) and put Rezin to death.

10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah(BE) the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12 When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings[i](BF) on it. 13 He offered up his burnt offering(BG) and grain offering,(BH) poured out his drink offering,(BI) and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings(BJ) against the altar. 14 As for the bronze altar(BK) that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

15 King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning(BL) burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”(BM) 16 And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.

17 King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.(BN) 18 He took away the Sabbath canopy[j] that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.(BO)

19 As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 Ahaz rested(BP) with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

Hoshea Last King of Israel(BQ)

17 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea(BR) son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil(BS) in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

3 Shalmaneser(BT) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.(BU) 4 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So[k] king of Egypt,(BV) 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.(BW) 5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege(BX) to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria(BY) captured Samaria(BZ) and deported(CA) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan(CB) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned(CC) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt(CD) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations(CE) 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(CF) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(CG) and Asherah poles(CH) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(CI) 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,(CJ) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”[l] 13 The Lord warned(CK) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:(CL) “Turn from your evil ways.(CM) 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.”(CN)

14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked(CO) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant(CP) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols(CQ) and themselves became worthless.(CR) They imitated the nations(CS) 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,(CT) and an Asherah(CU) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,(CV) and they worshiped Baal.(CW) 17 They sacrificed(CX) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens(CY) and sold(CZ) 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.(DA) 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.(DB) 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,(DC) until he thrust them from his presence.(DD)

21 When he tore(DE) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.(DF) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.(DG) 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,(DH) as he had warned(DI) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland(DJ) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

24 The king of Assyria(DK) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim(DL) 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(DM) 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(DN) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines(DO) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.(DP) 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(DQ) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.(DR) 32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts(DS) 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.(DT) 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship(DU) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.(DV) 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,(DW) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful(DX) to keep the decrees(DY) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget(DZ) 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,(EA) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 15:1 Also called Uzziah; also in verses 6, 7, 8, 17, 23 and 27
  2. 2 Kings 15:5 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  3. 2 Kings 15:5 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities
  4. 2 Kings 15:10 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts in Ibleam
  5. 2 Kings 15:12 2 Kings 10:30
  6. 2 Kings 15:19 Also called Tiglath-Pileser
  7. 2 Kings 15:19 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
  8. 2 Kings 15:20 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
  9. 2 Kings 16:12 Or and went up
  10. 2 Kings 16:18 Or the dais of his throne (see Septuagint)
  11. 2 Kings 17:4 So is probably an abbreviation for Osorkon.
  12. 2 Kings 17:12 Exodus 20:4,5
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