2 Kings 17:28-41 — Legacy Standard Bible

²⁸So one of the priests whom they had taken away into exile from Samaria came and settled at Bethel, and instructed them how they should fear Yahweh.

²⁹But each nation was still making gods of its own and put them ^ain the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, each nation in their cities in which they lived. ³⁰^aAnd the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and ^athe Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to ^bAdrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of the ^cSepharvaim. ³²^aThey were also fearing Yahweh and ¹^,^bappointed from among all of themselves priests of the high places, and they were acting for them in the houses of the high places. ³³They were fearing Yahweh and serving their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been taken away into exile.

³⁴To this day they are acting according to the earlier customs: they are not fearing Yahweh; they are not acting according to their statutes or their judgments or the law, or the commandment which Yahweh commanded the sons of Jacob, ^awhom He named Israel; ³⁵with whom Yahweh cut a covenant and commanded them, saying, “^aYou shall not fear other gods, nor ^bworship them nor ^cserve them nor sacrifice to them. ³⁶“But Yahweh, ^awho brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with ^ban outstretched arm, ^cHim you shall fear, and to Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall sacrifice. ³⁷“And the statutes and the judgments and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ^ayou shall be careful to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. ³⁸“And the covenant that I have cut with you, ^ayou shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. ³⁹“But Yahweh your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” ⁴⁰However, they did not listen, but they were acting according to their earlier custom. ⁴¹^aSo while these nations were fearing Yahweh, they also were serving their graven images; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers acted, so they are acting this way to this day.