2 Kings 17:18-28

New International Version

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.^(A) Only the tribe of Judah was left, ¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.^{(B) 20} Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,^(C) until he thrust them from his presence.^(D)

²¹ When he tore^(E) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.^(F) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.^{(G) 22} The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them ²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence,^(H) as he had warned^(I) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland^(J) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

²⁴ The king of Assyria^(K) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim^(L) and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions^(M) among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.