2 Kings 17:24–34

Assyria Resettles Samaria

^24pThen the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, ^qAva, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. ²⁵And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did 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 removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.” ²⁷Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the rituals of the God of the land.” ²⁸Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

²⁹However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them ^rin the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. ³⁰The men of ^sBabylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ^31tand the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites ^uburned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³²So they feared the Lord, ^vand from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the ³high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. ^33wThey feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

³⁴To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, ^xwhom He named Israel,