2 Kings 17:24–29

FOREIGN REFUGEES IN ISRAEL

²⁴Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in place of the Israelites in the cities of Samaria. The settlers took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.^{x 25}When they first lived there, they did not fear the Lord. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.^{y 26}The settlers said to the king of Assyria, “The nations that you have deported and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them that are killing them because the people don’t know the requirements of the god of the land.”

²⁷Then the king of Assyria issued a command: “Send back one of the priests you deported.^z Have him go and live there so he can teach them the requirements of the god of the land.” ²⁸So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel,^aa and he began to teach them how they should fear the Lord.

²⁹But the people of each nation were still making their own gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.^ab