2 Kings 17:3-23

New International Version

³ Shalmaneser^(A) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.^{(B) 4} But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[a] king of Egypt,^(C) 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.^{(D) 5} The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(E) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(F) captured Samaria^(G) and deported^(H) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(I) 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^(J) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(K) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations^(L) 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^(M) they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones^(N) and Asherah poles^(O) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.^{(P) 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,^(Q) though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”^{[b] 13} The Lord warned^(R) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:^(S) “Turn from your evil ways.^(T) 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.”^(U)

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked^(V) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant^(W) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols^(X) and themselves became worthless.^(Y) They imitated the nations^(Z) 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,^(AA) and an Asherah^(AB) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,^(AC) and they worshiped Baal.^{(AD) 17} They sacrificed^(AE) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens^(AF) and sold^(AG) 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.^(AH) 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.^{(AI) 20} Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,^(AJ) until he thrust them from his presence.^(AK)

²¹ When he tore^(AL) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.^(AM) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.^{(AN) 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,^(AO) as he had warned^(AP) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(AQ) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.