2 Kings 17:24–41

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. ⁱ²⁵When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahweh. So the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. ^j26The settlers spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “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. ^kHave 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, ^land he began to teach them how they should fear Yahweh.

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. ^m30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire ⁿto Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the Sepharvaim. ³²They feared the Lord, but they also appointed from their number priests to serve them in the shrines of the high places. ^o33They feared the Lord, but they also worshiped their own gods ^paccording to the custom of the nations where they had been deported from.

³⁴They are still practicing the former customs to this day. None of them fear the Lord or observe their statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments the Lord commanded the descendants of Jacob. He had renamed him Israel. ^q35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods; do not bow down to them; ^rdo not serve them; do not sacrifice to them. ^s36Instead fear the Lord, who brought you from the land of Egypt with great power ^tand an outstretched arm. ^uYou are to bow down to Him, and you are to sacrifice to Him. ³⁷You are to be careful always ^vto observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments He wrote for you; do not fear other gods. ³⁸Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you. ^wDo not fear other gods, ³⁹but fear the Lord your God, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” ^x

⁴⁰However, they would not listen but continued practicing their former customs. ⁴¹These nations feared the Lord but also served their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did until today. ^y