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2 Kings

Continues the story of the divided kingdoms, their decline, and eventual exile.

Chapter 17

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1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

In the 12th year of King Ahaz of Judah, Hoshea, son of Elah, started ruling in Samaria over Israel for nine years.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

He did bad things that displeased God, but not as bad as the other kings of Israel before him.

3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.

Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, attacked Hoshea. Hoshea then became Shalmaneser's helper and gave him gifts.

4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

The Assyrian king discovered a plot involving Hoshea. He had sent messages to the Egyptian king without giving gifts to the Assyrian king like he did every year. So, the Assyrian king captured and imprisoned Hoshea.

5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

Then the ruler of Assyria moved through the land and reached Samaria, where he surrounded the city for three years.

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the Assyrian king captured Samaria. He took the people of Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, Habor near the Gozan River, and in Median cities.

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

The children of Israel sinned by fearing other gods after God rescued them from Egypt and Pharaoh's rule.

8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

And followed the rules of the non-believers, whom the LORD removed from in front of the Israelites' descendants, and of the Israelite kings, that they created themselves.

9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

The children of Israel secretly did wrong things against God. They built tall structures in their cities for watching and protection.

10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

They placed statues and shrines on all tall hills and under every nice tree.

11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:

There, they burned incense at all the high places, just like the non-believers the LORD had previously driven away. They also did very bad things to make the LORD angry.

12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

They worshiped false gods, which the Lord told them not to follow.

13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all the prophets and seers, telling them to stop their bad behavior, follow his commands and laws, just like he instructed their ancestors, and which he shared through his messengers, the prophets.

14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

Despite this, they refused to listen and only became more stubborn, just like their ancestors who didn't believe in the LORD their God.

15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

They refused to follow his rules, the agreement he made with their ancestors, and the evidence he provided. Instead, they chased worthless things, became pointless themselves, and imitated the practices of nearby non-believers that the LORD told them to avoid.

16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

They ignored all of God's rules and created statues, two bull-shaped ones, plus a place for people to gather. They worshiped all the stars and sky gods, and followed Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

They made their children go through fire and used magic, and sold themselves to do bad things that upset God, making him angry.

18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

So, God was extremely upset with Israel and took them away. Only the tribe of Judah remained.

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

Judah did not follow God's rules, but instead followed Israel's laws that they created.

20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

And God rejected all of Israel's descendants, causing them pain and giving them to enemies, until he removed them from his presence.

21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

He divided Israel from the family of David and made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from following God and caused them to commit a serious sin.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

The children of Israel committed all the sins of Jeroboam and didn't stop doing them.

23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

Until God took Israel away, as the prophets said He would. Because of this, Israel was taken from their land to Assyria and has remained there to this day.

24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

The Assyrian king moved people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim into Samaria's cities. They took over Samaria and lived in its cities instead of the Israelite children.

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

At the start, when they lived there, they didn't fear the LORD. So, the LORD let lions come and hurt some of them.

26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

So, they told the king of Assyria, "The people you moved and put in Samaria's cities don't know that area's God. That's why he sent lions to kill them because they don't understand the local God."

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

Then the Assyrian king ordered, "Bring a priest from there and take him back with you. Let him live there and teach them about the local god's ways."

28 Then 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.

Then a priest from Samaria they took with them, and he lived in Bethel, teaching them how to respect God.

29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

However, each nation created their own gods and placed them in the high places' buildings that the Samaritans had built, in the cities where they lived.

30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

The people of Babylon created Succothbenoth, the people of Cuth created Nergal, and the people of Hamath created Ashima.

31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

The Avites created Nibhaz and Tartak, while the Sepharvites sacrificed their children to Adrammelech and Anammelech, who were the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

So they respected God, and chose some of the lesser ones to be their priests at the high places, who offered sacrifices for them inside the high place buildings.

33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

They respected God and worshiped their own gods, like the ways of the people they took from there.

34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

Up to now, they continue with their old ways. They don't fear the Lord, nor follow their rules, ordinances, or laws given by the Lord for the children of Jacob, who He named Israel.

35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

The LORD made a promise with these people and told them not to be afraid of other gods, not to worship them, not to serve them, and not to offer sacrifices to them.

36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.

But God, who saved you from Egypt using strong power and an outstretched arm, you should fear him, worship him, and offer sacrifices to him.

37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.

Follow the rules, laws, and commands given to you. Keep doing them forever and don't worship other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.

Don't forget the promise I made with you, and don't be afraid of other gods.

39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

But only fear God, your God; and He will save you from all your enemies.

40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

However, they didn't listen, but continued as they had done before.

41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

These countries respected God but still worshipped statues and passed these beliefs to their kids and grandkids, just like their ancestors did up until now.

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