Assyria Resettles Samaria

2 Kings 17

24 k And the king of Assyria brought people from l Babylon, Cuthah, m Avva, n Hamath, and o Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law 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 law of the god of the land." 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him 1 go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land." 28 So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in p Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.

29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them q in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. 30 The men of r Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites s burned their children in the fire to t Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of u Sepharvaim. 32 v They also feared the Lord w and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of x the high places. 33 So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

34 To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, y whom he named Israel. 35 The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, z "You shall not fear other gods a or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36 but b you shall fear the Lord, c who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and d with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37 And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, e you shall always be careful to do. z You shall not fear other gods, 38 and f you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. z You shall not fear other gods, 39 but b you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies." 40 However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.

41 g So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children - as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

  1. Cross References
    Ezra 4:2
    They approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.
    Ezra 4:10
    And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:30
    The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima.
  3. Cross References
    2 Kings 18:34
    Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:65
    So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:31
    And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
    2 Kings 18:34
    Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
    2 Kings 19:13
    Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?'
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:29
    And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:31
    He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.
    1 Kings 13:32
    For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:24
    And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:17
    And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
  10. Cross References
    2 Kings 19:37
    And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:24
    And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
  12. Cross References
    Zephaniah 1:5
    Those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:31
    He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.
  14. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:29
    But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 32:28
    Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.
    Genesis 35:10
    And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So he called his name Israel.
    1 Kings 18:31
    Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name.
  16. Cross References
    Judges 6:10
    And I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.' But you have not obeyed my voice.
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 20:5
    You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.
  18. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 6:13
    It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.
  19. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:7
    And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods
  20. Cross References
    Exodus 6:6
    Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
    Deuteronomy 4:34
    Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
  21. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 5:32
    You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
  22. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:35
    The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them.
  23. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 4:23
    Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.
  24. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:35
    The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not fear other gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them.
  25. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:36
    But you shall fear the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice.
  26. Cross References
    Zephaniah 1:5
    Those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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