Study Desk

In the ninth year of Hoshea, ^(C1)the king of Assyria captured Samaria and ^(C2)led the people of Israel into exile to Assyria, and ^(C3)settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of ^(C4)Gozan, and ^(C5)in the cities of the Medes.

Now ^(C1)this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, ^(C2)who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; ^(C3)and they had ^(F1)feared other gods.

They also ^(F1)(C1)followed the ^(F2)customs of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs ^(C2)of the kings of Israel which they had ^(F3)introduced.

And the sons of Israel ^(F1)did things secretly against the LORD their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from ^(C1)watchtower to fortified city.

And ^(C1)they set up for themselves memorial stones and ^(F1)(C2)Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree,

and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did that the LORD had taken into exile before them; and they did evil things, provoking the LORD.

They served idols, ^(C1)concerning which the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this thing."

Yet the ^(C1)LORD warned Israel and Judah ^(F1)(C2)through all His prophets and ^(C3)every seer, saying, "^(C4)Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you ^(F1)through My servants the prophets."

However, they did not listen, but ^(C1)stiffened their neck ^(F1)like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

^(C1)They rejected His statutes and ^(C2)His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He ^(F1)gave them. And ^(C3)they followed ^(F2)idols and ^(C4)became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the ^(C5)LORD had commanded them not to do as they did.

And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves cast metal images: ^(C1)two calves. And they ^(C2)made an ^(F1)Asherah, and ^(C3)worshiped all the heavenly ^(F2)lights, and ^(C4)served Baal.

Then ^(C1)they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they ^(C2)practiced divination and interpreting omens, and ^(C3)gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him.

So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He ^(C1)removed them from His ^(F1)sight; ^(C2)no one was left except the tribe of Judah.