Israel Repopulated with Foreign Captives

24 The king of Assyria brought from Babylonia, from Cush, from Arva, from Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and he settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites,[fn] so they took possession of Samaria and lived in her cities. 25 It happened that when they began living there, they did not fear Yahweh, so Yahweh sent lions among them, and they were killing them.[fn] 26 So they said to the king of Assyria, “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the customs of the God of the land, so he sent lions among them, and now they are killing them because they do not know the customs of the God of the land.” 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Release one of the priests whom you deported from there, and let him go and settle there. Let him teach them the customs of the God of the land.” 28 So one of the priests went, whom they had deported from Samaria, and he settled in Bethel and was teaching them how they should fear Yahweh.

29 Yet every nation was making their[fn] gods, and they put them in the shrine of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they were living. 30 The men of Babylonia made Succoth Benoth; the men of Cush made Nergal; the men of Hamath made Ashima. 31 The Arvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; the Sepharvites were burning their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 Those who were fearing Yahweh made priests of the high places from among themselves,[fn] and they were sacrificing for them in the shrines of the high places. 33 Yahweh they were fearing, but their gods they were serving, according to the customs of the nations from which they were deported.

34 Until this day they are doing according to their former customs; none of them are fearing Yahweh, and none of them are doing according to their statutes, to their decisions, to the law, or to the commands that Yahweh commanded the descendants[fn] of Jacob to which he had given the name Israel. 35 Yahweh had made[fn] a covenant with them and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods, nor shall you bow down to them, nor shall you serve them, nor shall you sacrifice to them. 36 Rather, Yahweh, who brought you out from the land of Egypt with great strength and with an outstretched arm—him you shall fear, and to him you shall bow down, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37 The statutes, the decisions, the law, and the commands that he wrote to you, you shall observe to do always, and you shall not fear other gods. 38 The covenant that I have made[fn] with you, you shall not forget, and you shall not fear other gods. 39 But Yahweh your God you shall fear, and he will deliver you from the hand of all of your enemies.” 40 They did not listen but kept on doing according to their former customs. 41 So these nations were fearing Yahweh, but they were serving their idols, as were their children and their children’s children; as their ancestors[fn] did, they are doing until this day.