²⁴The king of Assyria^y brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim^z and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions^a among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

²⁹Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns^b where they settled, and set them up in the shrines^c the people of Samaria had made at the high places.^d

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Cross references

y 2 Ki 19:37; Ezr 4:2, 10; Isa 37:38
zver 31; See 2 Ki 15:29; 18:34; Isa 36:19; 37:13; Am 6:2
aSee Ge 37:20; Isa 5:29; 15:9; Jer 50:17
b Jer 2:28; 11:13
cSee Lev 26:30; See 1 Ki 12:31
d Mic 4:5