2Kings 17 - Prayer Tents

Hoshea Rules in Israel

17Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years.H8147H6240H8141H271H4428H3063H1954H1121H425H4427H8111H3478H8672H81412He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not to the same extent as the kings of Israel who ruled before him.H6213H7451H5869H3068H4428H3478H64403King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.H5927H8022H4428H804H1954H5650H7725H45034But Hoshea stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt

to help him shake free of Assyria's power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Hoshea and put him in prison.H4428H804H4672H7195H1954H7971H4397H5471H4428H4714H5927H4503H4428H804H8141H8141H4428H804H6113H631H1004H3608

Samaria Falls to Assyria

5Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria.H4428H804H5927H776H5927H8111H6696H7969H81416Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.H8671H8141H1954H4428H804H3920H8111H1540H3478H1540H804H3427H2477H2249H5104H1470H5892H40747This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.H1121H3478H2398H3068H430H5927H776H4714H3027H6547H4428H4714H3372H312H4308They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.H3212H2708H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H3478H4428H3478H62139The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city.H1121H3478H2644H1697H3068H430H1129H1116H5892H4026H5341H4013H589210They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree.H5324H4676H842H1364H1389H7488H608611They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD's anger.H6999H1116H1471H3068H1540H6440H6213H7451H1697H3068H370712Yes, they worshiped idols

, despite the LORD's specific and repeated warnings.H5647H1544H3068H559H6213H169713Again and again the LORD had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: "Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets."H3068H5749H3478H3063H3027H5030H2374H559H7725H7451H1870H8104H4687H2708H8451H6680H1H7971H3027H5650H503014But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the LORD their God.H8085H7185H6203H6203H1H539H3068H43015They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD's command not to imitate them.H3988H2706H1285H3772H1H5715H5749H3212H310H1892H1891H310H1471H5439H3068H6680H621316They rejected all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.H5800H4687H3068H430H6213H4541H8147H5695H6213H842H7812H6635H8064H5647H116817They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire

. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger.H1121H1323H5674H784H7080H7081H5172H4376H6213H7451H5869H3068H370718Because the LORD was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land.H3068H3966H599H3478H5493H6440H7604H7626H306319But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the LORD their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced.H3063H8104H4687H3068H430H3212H2708H3478H621320The LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.H3068H3988H2233H3478H6031H5414H3027H8154H7993H644021For when the LORD

tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.H7167H3478H1004H1732H3379H1121H5028H4427H3379H5080H5077H3478H310H3068H2398H1419H240122And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sinsH1121H3478H3212H2403H3379H6213H549323until the LORD finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.H3068H5493H3478H6440H1696H3027H5650H5030H3478H1540H127H804H3117

Foreigners Settle in Israel

24The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.H4428H804H935H894H3575H5755H2574H5617H3427H5892H8111H1121H3478H3423H8111H3427H589225But since these foreign settlers did not worship the LORD when they first arrived, the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.H8462H3427H3372H3068H3068H7971H738H202626So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: "The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly."H559H4428H804H559H1471H1540H3427H5892H8111H3045H4941H430H776H7971H738H4191H3045H4941H430H77627The king of Assyria then commanded, "Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land."H4428H804H6680H559H3212H259H3548H1540H3212H3427H3384H4941H430H77628So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD.H259H3548H1540H8111H935H3427H1008H3384H3372H306829But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built.H1471H6213H430H3240H1004H1116H8118H6213H1471H5892H342730Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima.H582H894H6213H5524H582H3575H6213H5370H582H2574H6213H80731The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.H5757H6213H5026H8662H5616H8313H1121H784H152H6048H430H561732These new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship.H3373H3068H6213H7098H3548H1116H6213H1004H111633And though they worshiped the LORD, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came.H3373H3068H5647H430H4941H1471H154034And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the LORD and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.H3117H6213H7223H4941H3373H3068H6213H2708H4941H8451H4687H3068H6680H1121H3290H7760H8034H347835For the LORD had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: "Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them.H3068H3772H1285H6680H559H3372H312H430H7812H5647H207636But worship only the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to him alone, and offer sacrifices only to him.H3068H5927H776H4714H1419H3581H5186H2220H3372H7812H207637Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship other gods.H2706H4941H8451H4687H3789H8104H6213H3117H3372H312H43038Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.H1285H3772H7911H3372H312H43039You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies."H3068H430H3372H5337H3027H34140But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices.H8085H6213H7223H494141So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.H1471H3373H3068H5647H6456H1121H1121H1121H6213H1H6213H3117