2 Reis 17

I Kong Akaz af Judas tolvte Regeringsår blev Hosea, Elas Søn, Konge i Samaria over Israel, og han herskede ni År.

Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i HERRENs Øjne, dog ikke som de Konger i Israel, der var før ham.

Mod ham drog Assyrerkongen Salmanassar op, og Hosea underkastede sig og svarede ham Skat.

Men siden opdagede Assyrerkongen, at Hosea var ved at stifte en Sammensværgelse, idet han sendte Sendebud til Kong So af Ægypten og ikke mere svarede Assyrerkongen den årlige Skat. Så berøvede Assyrerkongen ham Friheden og lod ham kaste i Fængsel.

Assyrerkongen drog op og besatte hele Landet; han rykkede frem mod Samaria og belejrede det i tre År;

og i Hoseas niende Regeringsår indtog Assyrerkongen Samaria, bortførte Israel til Assyrien og lod dem bosætte sig i Hala, ved Habor, Gozans Flod, og i Mediens Byer.

Således gik det, fordi Israeliterne syndede mod HERREN deres Gud, der havde ført dem op fra Ægypten og udfriet dem af Ægypterkongen Faraos Hånd, og fordi de frygtede andre Guder;

de fulgte de Folkeslags Skikke, som HERREN havde drevet bort foran Israeliterne, og de Kongers Skik, som Israel havde indsat;

og Israeliterne udtænkte utilbørlige Ting mod HERREN deres Gud og byggede sig Offerhøje i alle deres Byer, lige fra Vagttårnene til de befæstede Byer;

de rejste sig Stenstøtter og Asjerastøtter på alle høje Steder og under alle grønne Træer

og tændte Offerild der på alle Høje ligesom de Folkeslag, HERREN havde ført bort foran dem, og øvede onde Ting, så at de krænkede HERREN;

Men de vilde ikke høre; de gjorde sig halsstarrige som deres Fædre, der ikke stolede på HERREN deres Gud;

de lod hånt om hans Anordninger og den Pagt, han havde sluttet med deres Fædre, og om de Vidnesbyrd, han havde givet dem, og de holdt sig til Tomhed, så de blev til Tomhed, og efterlignede Folkeslagene rundt om dem, skønt HERREN havde pålagt dem ikke at gøre som de;

de sagde sig løs fra HERREN deres Guds Bud og lavede sig støbte Billeder, to Tyrekalve; de lavede sig også Asjerastøtter, tilbad hele Himmelens Hær og dyrkede Ba'al:

de lod deres Sønner og Døtre gå igennem Ilden, drev Spådomskunster og Sandsigeri og solgte sig til at gøre, hvad der er ondt i HERRENs Øjne, så de krænkede ham.

Derfor blev HERREN såre fortørnet på Israel og drev dem bort fra sit Åsyn, så der ikke blev andet end Judas Stamme tilbage.

Men heller ikke Juda holdt HERREN deres Guds Bud, men fulgte de Skikke, Israel havde indført.

Derfor forkastede HERREN bele Israels Slægt, ydmygede dem, ga dem til Pris for Røvere og stødte dem til sidst bort fra sit Åsyn.

Thi da Israel havde revet sig løs fra Davids Hus og gjort Jeroboam, Nebats Søn, til Konge, drog denne Israel bort fra HERREN og forledte dem til en stor Synd;

og Israeliterne vandrede i alle de Synder, Jeroboam havde begået, og veg ikke derfra,

så at HERREN til sidst drev Israel bort fra sit Åsyn, som han havde sagt ved alle sine Tjenere Profeterne; og Israel måtte vandre bort fra sit Land til Assyrien, hvor det er den Dag i Dag.

Derefter lod Assyrerkongen Folk fra Babel, Kuta, Avva, Hamat og Sefarvajim komme og bosætte sig i Samarias Byer i Stedet for Israeliterne; og de tog Samaria i Besiddelse og bosatte sig i Byerne.

Men den første Tid de boede der, frygtede de ikke HERREN; derfor sendte HERREN Løver iblandt dem, som dræbte dem.

Så kom en af de Præster, de havde ført bort fra Samaria, og bosatte sig i Betel, og han lærte dem, hvorledes de skulde frygte HERREN.

Men hvert Folk gav sig til at lave sig sin egen Gud og stillede ham op i Offerhusene på Højene, som Samaritanerne havde opførf, hvert Folk i sin By, hvor de havde bosat sig;

Folkene fra Babel lavede Sukkot-Benot, Folkene fra Kuta Nergal, Folkene fra Hamat Asjima,

Avvijiterne Nibhaz og Tartak, og Sefarviterne brændte deres Børn til Ære for Adrammelek og Anammelek, Sefarvajims Guder.

Men de frygtede også HERREN og indsatte Folk at deres egen Midte til Præstr ved Offerhøjene, og disse ofrede for dem i Offerhusene på Højene.

De frygte de HERREN, men dyrkede også deres egne Guder på de Folkeslags Vis, de var ført bort fra.

Endnu den Dag i Dag følger de deres gamle Skikke. De frygtede ikke HERREN og handlede ikke efter de Anordninger og Lovbud, de havde fået, eller efter den Lov og det Bud, HERREN havde givet Jakobs Sønner, han, hvem han gav Navnet Israel.

men HERREN, som førte eder ud af Ægypten med vældig Kraft og udstrakt Arm, ham skal I frygte, ham skal I tilbede, og til ham skal I ofre!

De Anordninger og Lovbud, den Lov og det Bud, han har opskrevet for eder, skal I omhyggeligt holde til alle Tider, og I må ikke frygte andre Guder!

Den Pagt, han har sluttet med eder, må I ikke glemme, og I må ikke frygte andre Guder;

Dog vilde de ikke høre, men blev ved at handle som før.

Således frygtede disse Folkeslag HERREN, men dyrkede tillige deres udskårne Billeder; og deres Børn og Børnebørn gør endnu den Dag i Dag som deres Fædre.

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

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

Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents. {gave: Heb. rendered} {presents: or, tribute}

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. {present: or, tribute}

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

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.

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,

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 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.

And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: {images: Heb. statues}

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:

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

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. {by: Heb. by the hand of}

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. {whom...: or, who carried them away from thence}

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;

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:

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.