2 Kings 17

The Hebrew Bible with the Berean Standard Bible. Click any Hebrew word for its meaning, lexicon entry and every place it occurs.

Hebrew: the Leningrad Codex with the Berean Standard Bible

Hoshea the Last King of Israel

3

עָלָ֣יו עָלָ֔ה שַׁלְמַנְאֶ֖סֶר מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ הוֹשֵׁ֙עַ֙ עֶ֔בֶד וַיָּ֥שֶׁב ל֖וֹ מִנְחָֽה׃

Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.

Israel Carried Captive to Assyria

7

וַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־חָטְא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם הַמַּעֲלֶ֤ה אֹתָם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִתַּ֕חַת יַ֖ד פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃

All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods

8

וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ בְּחֻקּ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹרִ֣ישׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּמַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשֽׂוּ׃

and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

9

וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל דְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־כֵ֔ן עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּבְנ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם בָּמוֹת֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל נוֹצְרִ֖ים עַד־עִ֥יר מִבְצָֽר׃

The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.

10

וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ לָהֶ֛ם מַצֵּב֖וֹת וַאֲשֵׁרִ֑ים עַ֚ל כָּל־גִּבְעָ֣ה גְבֹהָ֔ה וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃

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

11

וַיְקַטְּרוּ־שָׁם֙ בְּכָל־בָּמ֔וֹת כַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁר־הֶגְלָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙ דְּבָרִ֣ים רָעִ֔ים לְהַכְעִ֖יס אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.

12

וַיַּֽעַבְד֖וּ הַגִּלֻּלִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”

15

וַיִּמְאֲס֣וּ אֶת־חֻקָּ֗יו וְאֶת־בְּרִיתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּרַ֣ת אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם וְאֵת֙ עֵֽדְוֹתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵעִ֖יד בָּ֑ם וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ אַחֲרֵ֤י הַהֶ֙בֶל֙ וַיֶּהְבָּ֔לוּ וְאַחֲרֵ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשׂ֥וֹת כָּהֶֽם׃

They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

19

גַּם־יְהוּדָ֕ה לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔ר אֶת־מִצְוֹ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ בְּחֻקּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשֽׂוּ׃

and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.

20

וַיִּמְאַ֨ס יְהוָ֜ה בְּכָל־זֶ֤רַע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיְעַנֵּ֔ם וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיַד־שֹׁסִ֑ים עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁלִיכָ֖ם מִפָּנָֽיו׃

So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.

21

כִּֽי־קָרַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵעַל֙ בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֔ד וַיַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֑ט וַיַּדַּ֨ח יָרָבְעָ֤ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְהֶחֱטֵיאָ֖ם חֲטָאָ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃

When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.

Samaria Resettled

25

וַיְהִ֗י בִּתְחִלַּת֙ שִׁבְתָּ֣ם שָׁ֔ם לֹ֥א יָרְא֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח יְהוָ֤ה בָּהֶם֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲרָי֔וֹת וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ הֹרְגִ֖ים בָּהֶֽם׃

Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

29

וַיִּהְי֣וּ עֹשִׂ֔ים גּ֥וֹי גּ֖וֹי אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיַּנִּ֣יחוּ׀ בְּבֵ֣ית הַבָּמ֗וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרֹנִ֔ים גּ֥וֹי גּוֹי֙ בְּעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם יֹשְׁבִ֖ים שָֽׁם׃

Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places.

32

וַיִּהְי֥וּ יְרֵאִ֖ים אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם מִקְצוֹתָם֙ כֹּהֲנֵ֣י בָמ֔וֹת וַיִּהְי֛וּ עֹשִׂ֥ים לָהֶ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַבָּמֽוֹת׃

So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.

33

אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה הָי֣וּ יְרֵאִ֑ים וְאֶת־אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶם֙ הָי֣וּ עֹֽבְדִ֔ים כְּמִשְׁפַּט֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִגְל֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִשָּֽׁם׃

They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.

35

וַיִּכְרֹ֨ת יְהוָ֤ה אִתָּם֙ בְּרִ֔ית וַיְצַוֵּ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תִֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א תַעַבְד֔וּם וְלֹ֥א תִזְבְּח֖וּ לָהֶֽם׃

For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them.

36

כִּ֣י אִֽם־אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ הֶעֱלָ֨ה אֶתְכֶ֜ם מֵאֶ֧רֶץ מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּכֹ֧חַ גָּד֛וֹל וּבִזְר֥וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֖ה אֹת֣וֹ תִירָ֑אוּ וְל֥וֹ תִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ וְל֥וֹ תִזְבָּֽחוּ׃

Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him.

Sources: STEPBible TAHOT (Hebrew Bible, Leningrad Codex, CC BY 4.0); the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Reformatted by Word Study, wording unchanged. All sources and licenses.