2 Kings 17 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ In the twelfth year of Aḥ

² And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, but not as the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕ

³ Shalmaneser sovereign of Ashshur came up against him. And Hoshĕ

⁴ But the sovereign of Ashshur found a conspiracy in Hoshĕ

⁵ And the sovereign of Ashshur went through all the land, and went up to Shomeron and besieged it for three years.

⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshĕ

⁷ Now this came to be because the children of Yisra’ĕ

⁸ and walked in the laws of the gentiles whom יהוה  had dispossessed from before the children of Yisra’ĕ

⁹ And the children of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁰ and set up for themselves pillars and Ashĕ

¹¹ and burned incense there on all the high places, like the gentiles whom יהוה  had removed from their presence. And they did evil matters to provoke יהוה,

¹² and served the idols, of which יהוה  had said to them, “Do not do this.”

¹³ And יהוה  warned Yisra’ĕ

¹⁴ But they did not listen and hardened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not put their trust in יהוה  their Elohim,

¹⁵ and rejected His laws and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His witnesses which He had witnessed against them, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless, and after the gentiles who were all around them, of whom יהוה  had commanded them not to do like them.

¹⁶ And they left all the commands of יהוה  their Elohim, and made for themselves a moulded image, two calves, and made an Ashĕ

¹⁷ and caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, and practised divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of יהוה, to provoke Him.

¹⁸ So יהוה  was very enraged with Yisra’ĕ

¹⁹ Yehuḏ

²⁰ And יהוה  rejected all the seed of Yisra’ĕ

²¹ For He tore Yisra’ĕ

²² And the children of Yisra’ĕ

²³ until יהוה  removed Yisra’ĕ

²⁴ And the sovereign of Ashshur brought people from Baḇ

²⁵ And it came to be, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear יהוה, and יהוה  sent lions among them, which kept on slaying among them.

²⁶ And they spoke to the sovereign of Ashshur, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Shomeron do not know the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land. And He has sent lions among them, and see, they are slaying among them because they do not know the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land.”

²⁷ And the sovereign of Ashshur commanded, saying, “Send one of the priests whom you exiled from there, to go there. Let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land.”

²⁸ And one of the priests whom they had exiled from Shomeron came and dwelt in Bĕ

²⁹ But every nation was making mighty ones of its own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Shomeronites had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt.

³⁰ And the men of Baḇ

³¹ and the Awwites made Niḇ

³² They also feared יהוה, and from every class they made for themselves priests of the high places, who offered for them in the house of the high places.

³³ They were fearing יהוה, and they were serving their own mighty ones, according to the ruling of the nations from among whom they had been exiled.

³⁴ To this day they are doing according to the former rulings: they are not fearing יהוה, nor do they follow their laws or their right-rulings, or the Torah and command which יהוה  had commanded the children of Yaʽ

³⁵ with whom יהוה  had made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “Do not fear other mighty ones, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor slaughter to them;

³⁶ but יהוה, who brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves, and to Him you shall slaughter.

³⁷ “And guard to do forever the laws, and the right-rulings, and the Torah, and the command which He wrote for you. And do not fear other mighty ones.

³⁸ “And do not forget the covenant that I have made with you, and do not fear other mighty ones.

³⁹ “But fear יהוה  your Elohim, so that He delivers you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ And they did not obey, but did according to their former ruling.

⁴¹ So these nations were fearing יהוה, and served their carved images, both their children and their children’s children. As their fathers did, they are doing to this day.