2 Kings 17:24-41 - Israel Repopulated With Foreign Captives
24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel. And they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the 25 And so it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear LORD. Therefore LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou have carried away, and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and, behold, they k
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom ye brought from there, and let them go and dwell there. And let him 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 dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear LORD.
29 However 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. 30 And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak. And the Sepharvites burnt their sons in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared LORD, and made for them priests of the high places from among themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 33 They feared LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
34 To this day they do after the former manner. They do not fear LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law or after the commandment which LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom he named Is 35 with whom 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. 36 But LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, him ye shall fear, and to him ye shall bow yourselves, and to him ye shall sacrifice. 37 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. 38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget. Neither shall ye fear other gods, 39 but ye shall ye fear LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 However they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. 41 So these nations feared LORD, and served their graven images, their sons likewise, and their son's sons, as did their fathers, so do they to this day.