2nd Kings — 17

Husha Rules in Yashar'AL 

1 Husha son of Alah began to rule over Yashar'AL in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’s reign in Yahudah, he reigned in Samaria nine years. 

2 He did what was evil in the sight of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, but not to the same extent as the kings of Yashar'AL who ruled before him.

3 King Shalmanasar of Assyria attacked King Husha, so Husha was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria. 

4 But Husha stopped paying the annual tribute and conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Mitzraym to help him shake free of Assyria’s power. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he seized Husha and put him in prison.

Samaria Falls to Assyria

5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged the city of Samaria. 

6 Finally, in the ninth year of King Husha’s reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Yashar'AL were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habur River in Guzan, and in the cities of the Madas.

7 This disaster came upon the people of Yashar'AL because they worshiped idols. They sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, who had brought them safely out of Mitzraym and had rescued them from the power of Phar'uh, the king of Mitzraym. 

8 They had followed the practices of the pagan nations 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Yashar'AL had introduced. 

9 The people of Yashar'AL had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. 

10 They set up sacred pillars and Asharah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. 

11 They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Yashar'AL had done many evil things, arousing 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s anger. 

12 Yes, they worshiped idols, despite 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s specific and repeated warnings.

13 Again and again 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had sent his Nabyms and seers to warn both Yashar'AL and Yahudah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commandments and decrees, the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the Nabyms (prophets).”

14 But the Yasharalym would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

15 They rejected the decrees and the covenant 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had made with their ancestors, and they despised all His warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s command not to imitate them.

16 They rejected all the commandments of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asharah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of Shamaym. 

17 They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s anger.

18 Because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH was very angry with Yashar'AL, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Yahudah remained in the land. 

19 But even the people of Yahudah refused to obey the commands of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, for they followed the evil practices that Yashar'AL had introduced. 

20 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH rejected all the descendants of Yashar'AL. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH punished them by handing them over to their attackers until He had banished Yashar'AL from His presence.

21 For when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH tore Yashar'AL away from the kingdom of Daud, they chose Yarubuam son of Nabat as their king. But Yarubuam drew Yashar'AL away from following 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and made them commit a great sin. 

22 And the people of Yashar'AL persisted in all the evil ways of Yarubuam. They did not turn from these sins 

23 until 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH finally swept them away from His presence, just as all His Nabyms (prophets) had warned. So Yashar'AL was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.

Foreigners Settle in Yashar'AL 

24 The king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylun, Cuthah, Abba, Hamath, and Sepharbaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Yashar'AL. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. 

25 But since these foreign settlers did not worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH when they first arrived, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

26 So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: “The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of the land. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped Him correctly.”

27 The king of Assyria then commanded, “Send one of the exiled priests back to Samaria. Let him live there and teach the new residents the religious customs of the  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of the land.” 

28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bathal and taught the new residents how to worship  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.

29 But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own idols. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Samaria had built. 

30 Those from Babylun worshiped idols of their deity Succuth-banuth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their idol Nargal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima. 

31 The Abbites worshiped their idols Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sapharbaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to their idols Adrammalach and Anammalach.

32 These new residents worshiped  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship. 

33 And though they worshiped  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, they continued to follow their own idols according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came. 

34 And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH gave the descendants of Ya'aqub, whose name he changed to Yashar'AL.

35 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had made a covenant with the descendants of Ya'aqub and commanded them: “Do not worship any images idols or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. 

36 But worship only 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, who brought you out of Mitzraym with great strength and a powerful arm. Bow down to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH alone, and offer sacrifices only to him. 

37 Be careful at all times to obey the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands that He wrote for you. You must not worship idols. 

38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship idols. 

39 You must worship only 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.”

40 But the people would not listen and continued to follow their former practices. 

41 So while these new residents worshiped 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.