2 Kings 17
2 Kings 17:1 In the twelfth year of Judah’s King Ahaz, Hoshea, son of Elah, became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.
2 Kings 17:2 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
2 Kings 17:3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
2 Kings 17:4 But the king of Assyria caught Hoshea in a conspiracy: He had sent envoys to So king of Egypt and had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore, the king of Assyria arrested him and put him in prison.
2 Kings 17:5 The king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, along the Habor (Gozan’s river), and in the cities of the Medes.
2 Kings 17:7 This disaster happened because the people of Israel failed Yahveh, their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and because they worshiped other gods.
2 Kings 17:8 They lived according to the customs of the nations that Yahveh had dispossessed before the Israelites and according to what the kings of Israel did.
2 Kings 17:9 The Israelites secretly did things against Yahveh their God that were not right. They built high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
2 Kings 17:10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
2 Kings 17:11 They burned incense there on all the high places just like the nations that Yahveh had driven out before they had done. They did evil things, angering Yahveh.
2 Kings 17:12 They slaved for idols, although Yahveh had told them, “You must not do this.”
2 Kings 17:13 Still, Yahveh warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through my slaves the prophets.”
2 Kings 17:14 But they would not listen. Instead, they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe Yahveh their God.
2 Kings 17:15 They rejected his statutes, his covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations Yahveh had commanded them not to imitate.
2 Kings 17:16 They abandoned all the commands of Yahveh, their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and slaved for Baal.
2 Kings 17:17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire, practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to doing what was evil in Yahveh’s sight and angered him.
2 Kings 17:18 Therefore, Yahveh was very angry with Israel, and he removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained.
2 Kings 17:19 Even Judah did not keep the commands of Yahveh, their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had practiced.
2 Kings 17:20 So Yahveh rejected all the descendants of Israel, punished them, and handed them over to plunderers until he had banished them from his presence.
2 Kings 17:21 When Yahveh tore Israel from the house of David, Israel made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Then, Jeroboam led Israel away from following Yahveh and caused them to commit immense sin.
2 Kings 17:22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam committed and did not turn away from them.
2 Kings 17:23 Finally, Yahveh removed Israel from his presence just as he had declared through all his slaves the prophets. So, Israel has been exiled to Assyria from their homeland to this very day.
2 Kings 17:24 Then 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.
2 Kings 17:25 When they first lived there, they did not fear Yahveh. So, Yahveh sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
2 Kings 17:26 The settlers said to the king of Assyria, “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.”
2 Kings 17:27 Then the king of Assyria issued a command: “Send back one of the priests you deported. Have him go and live there so he can teach them the requirements of the god of the land.”
2 Kings 17:28 So one of the priests they had deported came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should fear Yahveh.
2 Kings 17:29 But the people of each nation were still making their gods in the cities where they lived and putting them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.
2 Kings 17:30 The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
2 Kings 17:31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
2 Kings 17:32 They feared Yahveh, but they also made from their ranks priests for the high places, who were working for them at the shrines of the high places.
2 Kings 17:33 They feared Yahveh, but they also slaved for their gods according to the practice of the nations from which they had been deported.
2 Kings 17:34 They are still observing the former practices to this day. None of them fear Yahveh or observe the statutes and ordinances, the law, and commandments that Yahveh had commanded the descendants of Jacob, whom he had given the name Israel.
2 Kings 17:35 Yahveh made a covenant with Jacob’s descendants and commanded them, “Do not fear other gods; do not bow in worship to them; do not slave for them; do not sacrifice to them.
2 Kings 17:36 Instead, fear Yahveh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to him, and you are to sacrifice to him.
2 Kings 17:37 You are to be careful always to observe the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandments he wrote for you; do not fear other gods.
2 Kings 17:38 Do not forget the covenant that I have made with you. Do not fear other gods,
2 Kings 17:39 but fear Yahveh your God, and he will rescue you from all your enemies.”
2 Kings 17:40 However, these nations would not listen but continued observing their former practices.
2 Kings 17:41 They feared Yahveh but also slaved for their idols. Still today, their children and grandchildren continue doing as their fathers did.
links:
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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, October 19, 2023
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