2 Kings 17:24–29

Exiled Men in the Cities of Samaria

^24aAnd the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ^1bAvva and from ^cHamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.

²⁵Now it happened at the beginning of their settlement there, that they ^adid not fear Yahweh; therefore Yahweh sent lions among them which were killing them.

²⁶So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken away into exile and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are putting them to death because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”

²⁷Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you took away into ¹exile and let ²him go and live there; and let him instruct them the custom of the god of the land.”

²⁸So one of the priests whom they had taken away into exile from Samaria came and settled at Bethel, and instructed them how they should fear Yahweh.

²⁹But each nation was still making gods of its own and put them ^ain the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, each nation in their cities in which they lived.