2 Kings 17:24–29

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

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

²⁵At the beginning of their living there, they ^adid not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them.

²⁶So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile 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 kill them 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 carried away into ¹exile and let ²him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.”

²⁸So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

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