1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years.

2 And he did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and paid him tribute.

4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute 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.

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

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

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

8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom Jehovah had cast out before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 And the children of Israel secretly did things against Jehovah their God that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.

10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and groves on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom Jehovah had carried away before them, and did evil things to provoke Jehovah to anger;

12 for they served idols, of which Jehovah had said to them, You shall not do this thing.

13 Yet Jehovah testified against Israel and against Judah, by the hand of all of His prophets and every seer, saying, Turn away from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the Law which I have commanded your fathers, and which I have sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets.

14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who had not believed in Jehovah their God.

15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they went after their vanities, became vain, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom Jehovah had charged them that they should not do like them.

16 And they left all the commandments of Jehovah their God, made for themselves molten images, two calves, made a grove and bowed down to all the host of the heavens, and served Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination of witchcraft and fortunetelling, and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger.

18 Therefore Jehovah was very angry with Israel, and removed them away from before His face; there was no one left but only the tribe of Judah.

19 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of Jehovah their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they had made.

20 And Jehovah rejected all the seed of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them away from before His face.

21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following after Jehovah, and made them sin a great sin.

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

23 until Jehovah had removed Israel from before His face, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. Thus Israel was carried away from their own land into Assyria, as it is this day.

24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.

25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear Jehovah; therefore Jehovah sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the ordinances of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they do not know the ordinances of the God of the land.

27 So the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you have brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land.

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 Jehovah.

29 However nation by nation they continued making gods of their own, and put them in the houses on the high places which those from Samaria had made, nation by nation in the cities where they were living.

30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,

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

32 So they feared Jehovah; and from among all of them they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who attended to the houses of the high places for them.

33 They feared Jehovah, and also served their own gods; according to the manner of the nations from where they were carried away.

34 To this day they continue doing according to the former manner; they do not fear Jehovah, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the Law and commandments which Jehovah has commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He had ordained with the name, Israel;

35 with whom Jehovah had made a covenant and charged them, saying: You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them;

36 but Jehovah, who has brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, to Him you shall bow down, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice.

37 And the statutes, the ordinances, the Law, and the commandments which He has written for you, you shall take heed to do forever; you shall not fear other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39 But Jehovah your God you shall fear; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

40 However they have not obeyed, but are doing according to their former manner.

41 Thus these nations feared Jehovah, while also serving their graven images. And their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers have done, even to this day.

1 No décimo segundo ano do reinado de Acaz, rei de Judá, Oséias, filho de Elá, tornou-se rei de Israel em Samaria, e reinou nove anos.

2 Ele fez o que o Senhor reprova, mas não como os reis de Israel que o precederam.

3 Salmaneser, rei da Assíria, foi atacar Oséias, que fora seu vassalo e lhe pagara tributo.

4 Mas o rei da Assíria descobriu que Oséias era um traidor, pois havia mandado emissários a Sô, rei do Egito, e já não pagava mais o tributo, como costumava fazer a cada ano. Por isso, Salmaneser mandou lançá-lo na prisão.

5 O rei da Assíria invadiu todo o país, marchou contra Samaria e a sitiou por três anos.

6 No nono ano do reinado de Oséias, o rei assírio conquistou Samaria e deportou os israelitas para a Assíria. Ele os colocou em Hala, em Gozã do rio Habor e nas cidades dos medos.

7 Tudo isso aconteceu porque os israelitas haviam pecado contra o Senhor seu Deus, que os tirara do Egito, de sob o poder do faraó, rei do Egito. Eles prestaram culto a outros deuses

8 e seguiram os costumes das nações que o Senhor havia expulsado de diante deles, bem como os costumes que os reis de Israel haviam introduzido.

9 Os israelitas praticaram o mal secretamente contra o Senhor seu Deus. Desde torres de sentinela até cidades fortificadas, eles mesmos construíram altares idólatras em todas as suas cidades.

10 Ergueram colunas sagradas e postes sagrados em todo monte alto e debaixo de toda árvore frondosa.

11 Em todos os altares idólatras queimavam incenso, como fizeram as nações a quem o Senhor havia expulsado de diante deles. Fizeram males que provocaram o Senhor à ira.

12 Prestaram culto a ídolos, embora o Senhor houvesse dito: "Não façam isso".

13 O Senhor advertiu Israel e Judá por meio de todos os seus profetas e videntes: "Desviem-se de seus maus caminhos. Obedeçam às minhas ordenanças e aos meus decretos, de acordo com toda a Lei que ordenei a seus antepassados que obedecessem e que lhes entreguei por meio de meus servos, os profetas".

14 Mas eles não quiseram ouvir e foram obstinados como seus antepassados, que não confiaram no Senhor seu Deus.

15 Rejeitaram os seus decretos, a aliança que tinha feito com seus antepassados e as suas advertências. Seguiram ídolos inúteis, tornando-se eles mesmos inúteis. Imitaram as nações ao seu redor, embora o Senhor tivesse lhes ordenado: "Não as imitem".

16 Abandonaram todos os mandamentos do Senhor, do seu Deus e fizeram para si dois ídolos de metal na forma de bezerros e um poste sagrado. Inclinaram-se diante de todos os exércitos celestiais e prestaram culto a Baal.

17 Queimaram seus filhos e filhas em sacrifício. Praticaram adivinhação e feitiçaria e venderam-se para fazer o que o Senhor reprova, provocando-o à ira.

18 Então o Senhor indignou-se muito contra Israel e os expulsou da sua presença. Só a tribo de Judá escapou,

19 mas nem ela obedeceu aos mandamentos do Senhor seu Deus. Seguiram os costumes que Israel havia introduzido.

20 Por isso, o Senhor rejeitou todo o povo de Israel; ele o afligiu e o entregou nas mãos de saqueadores, até expulsá-lo da sua presença.

21 Quando o Senhor separou Israel da dinastia de Davi, os israelitas escolheram como rei Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, que induziu Israel a deixar de seguir o Senhor e o levou a cometer grande pecado.

22 Eles permaneceram em todos os pecados de Jeroboão e não se desviaram deles,

23 até que o Senhor os afastou de sua presença, conforme havia advertido por meio de todos os seus servos, os profetas. Assim, o povo de Israel foi tirado de sua terra e levado ao exílio na Assíria, onde ainda hoje permanecem.

24 O rei da Assíria trouxe gente da Babilônia, de Cuta, de Ava, de Hamate e de Sefarvaim e os estabeleceu nas cidades de Samaria para substituir os israelitas. Eles ocuparam Samaria e habitaram em suas cidades.

25 Quando começaram a viver ali, não adoravam o Senhor; por isso ele enviou leões para o meio deles, que mataram alguns dentre o povo.

26 Então informaram o rei da Assíria: "Os povos que deportaste e fizeste morar nas cidades de Samaria não sabem o que o Deus daquela terra exige. Ele enviou leões para matá-los pois desconhecem suas exigências".

27 Então o rei da Assíria deu esta ordem: "Façam um dos sacerdotes de Samaria que vocês levaram prisioneiro retornar e viver ali para ensinar as exigências do Deus da terra".

28 Então um dos sacerdotes exilados de Samaria veio morar em Betel e lhes ensinou a adorar o Senhor.

29 No entanto, cada grupo fez seus próprios deuses nas diversas cidades em que moravam e os puseram nos altares idólatras que o povo de Samaria havia feito.

30 Os de Babilônia fizeram Sucote-Benote, os de Cuta fizeram Nergal e os de Hamate fizeram Asima;

31 os aveus fizeram Nibaz e Tartaque; os sefarvitas queimavam seus filhos em sacrifício a Adrameleque e Anameleque, deuses de Sefarvaim.

32 Eles adoravam o Senhor, mas também nomeavam qualquer pessoa para lhes servir como sacerdote nos altares idólatras.

33 Adoravam o Senhor, mas também prestavam culto aos seus próprios deuses, conforme os costumes das nações de onde haviam sido trazidos.

34 Até hoje eles continuam em suas antigas práticas. Não adoram o Senhor nem se comprometem com os decretos, com as ordenanças, com as leis e com os mandamentos que o Senhor deu aos descendentes de Jacó, a quem deu o nome de Israel.

35 Quando o Senhor fez uma aliança com os israelitas, ele lhes ordenou: "Não adorem a outros deuses, não se inclinem diante deles, não lhes prestem culto nem lhes ofereçam sacrifício.

36 Mas o Senhor, que os tirou do Egito com grande poder e braço forte, é a quem vocês adorarão. Diante dele vocês se inclinarão e lhe oferecerão sacrifícios.

37 Vocês sempre tomarão o cuidado de obedecer aos decretos, e às ordenanças, às leis e aos mandamentos que lhes prescreveu. Não adorem a outros deuses.

38 Não esqueçam a aliança que fiz com vocês e não adorem a outros deuses.

39 Antes, adorem o Senhor, o seu Deus; ele os livrará das mãos de todos os seus inimigos".

40 Contudo, eles não deram atenção, mas continuaram em suas antigas práticas.

41 Mesmo enquanto esses povos adoravam o Senhor, também prestavam culto aos seus ídolos. Até hoje seus filhos e netos continuam a fazer o que seus antepassados faziam.