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2 Kings Chapter 17

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lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda began Osee the son of Ela to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 Against him came up Salamanassar king of the Assyrians; and Osee became his servant, and rendered him tribute.
4 And the king of the Assyrians found iniquity in Osee, in that he sent messengers to Segor king of Egypt, and brought not a tribute to the king of the Assyrians in that year: and the king of the Assyrians besieged him, and bound him in the prison-house.
5 And the king of the Assyrians went up against all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it [for] three years.
6 In the ninth year of Osee the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to the Assyrians, and settled them in Alae, and in Abor, [near] the rivers of Gozan, and [in] the mountains of the Medes.
7 For it came to pass that the children of Israel [had] transgressed against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and they feared other gods,
8 and walked in the statutes of the nations which the Lord cast out before the face of the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel as many as did [such things],
9 and [in those] of the children of Israel as many as secretly practised customs, not as [they should have done], against the Lord their God:
10 and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. And they made for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree.
11 And burned incense there on all high places, as the nations [did] whom the Lord removed from before them, and dealt with familiar spirits, and they carved [images] to provoke the Lord to anger.
12 And they served the idols, of which the Lord said to them, Ye shall not do this thing [against] the Lord.
13 And the Lord testified against Israel and against Juda, even by the hand of all his prophets, [and] of every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my ordinances, and all the law which I commanded your fathers, [and] all that I sent to them by the hand of my servants the prophets.
14 But they hearkened not, and made their neck harder than the neck of their fathers.
15 And they kept not any of his testimonies which he charged them; and they walked after vanities, and became vain, and after the nations round about them, concerning which the Lord had charged them not to do accordingly.
16 They forsook the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves graven images, [even] two heifers, and they made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divinations and auspices, and sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him.
18 And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; and there was only left the tribe of Juda quite alone.
19 Nay even Juda kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but they walked according to the customs of Israel which they practised, and rejected the Lord.
20 And the Lord was angry with the whole seed of Israel, and troubled them, and gave them into the hand of them that spoiled them, until he cast them out of his presence.
21 Forasmuch as Israel revolted from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nabat king: and Jeroboam drew off Israel from following the Lord, and led them to sin a great sin.
22 And the children of Israel walked in all the sin of Jeroboam which he committed; they departed not from it,
23 until the Lord removed Israel from his presence, as the Lord spoke by all his servants the prophets; and Israel was removed from off their land to the Assyrians until this day.
24 And the king of Assyria brought from Babylon the men of Chutha, [and men] from Aia, and from Æmath, and Seppharvaim, and they were settled in the cities of Samaria in the place of the children of Israel: and they inherited Samaria, and were settled in its cities.
25 And it was so at the beginning of their establishment there [that] they feared not the Lord, and the Lord sent lions among them, and they slew some of them.
26 And they spoke to the king of the Assyrians, saying, The nations whom thou hast removed and substituted in the cities of Samaria [for the Israelites], know not the manner of the God of the land: and he has sent the lions against them, and, behold, they are slaying them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27 And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying, Bring some [Israelites] thence, and let them go and dwell there, and they shall teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28 And they brought one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria, and he settled in Bæthel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 But the nations made each their own gods, and put them in the house of the high places which the Samaritans [had] made, each nation in the cities in which they dwelt.
30 And the men of Babylon made Socchoth Benith, and the men of Chuth made Ergel, and the men of Hæmath made Asimath.
31 And the Evites made Eblazer and Tharthac, and the [inhabitant] of Seppharvaim [did evil] when they burnt their sons in the fire to Adramelech and Anemelech, the gods of Seppharvaim.
32 And they feared the Lord, yet they established their abominations in the houses of the high places which they made in Samaria, each nation in the city in which they dwelt: and they feared the Lord, and they made for themselves priests of the high places, and sacrificed for themselves in the house of the high places.
33 And they feared the Lord, and served their gods according to the manner of the nations, whence [their lords] brought them.
34 Until this day they did according to their manner: they fear [the Lord], and they do according to their customs, and according to their manner, and according to the law, and according to the commandment which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whose name he made Israel.
35 And the Lord made a covenant with them, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, neither shall ye worship them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 but only to the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great strength and with a high arm: him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship; to him shall ye sacrifice.
37 Ye shall observe continually the ordinances, and the judgments, and the law, and the commandments which he wrote for you to do; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 Neither shall ye forget the covenant which he made with you: and ye shall not fear other gods.
39 But ye shall fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you from all your enemies.
40 Neither shall ye comply with their practice, which they follow.
41 So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images: yea, their sons and their sons' sons do until this day even as their fathers did.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years.
2 He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought him tribute.
4 The king of Assyria discovered a conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria seized him, and bound him in prison.
5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
8 and walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
9 The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God; and they built high places for themselves in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city;
10 and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
11 and there they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations whom the LORD carried away before them did; and they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger;
12 and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”
13 Yet the LORD testified to Israel and to Judah, by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
14 Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck like the neck of their fathers who didn’t believe in the LORD their God.
15 They rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.
16 They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.
17 They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19 Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 The LORD rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21 For he tore Israel from David’s house; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them
23 until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he said by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.
25 So it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn’t fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
26 Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations which you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them; and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law of the god of the land.”
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let him 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 lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the 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 in which they lived.
30 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 burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So they feared the LORD, and also made from among themselves priests of the high places for themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33 They feared the LORD, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
34 To this day they do what they did before. They don’t fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes, or the ordinances, or the law, or the commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35 with whom the LORD had made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;
36 but you shall fear the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and you shall bow yourselves to him, and you shall sacrifice to him.
37 The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods.
38 You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods.
39 But you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”
40 However they didn’t listen, but they did what they did before.
41 So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their engraved images. Their children did likewise, and so did their children’s children. They do as their fathers did to this day.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).