IN the twelfth year of Achaz king of Yahudah began Husha the son of Elah to reign in Shomeron over Yashar'el nine years.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahuah, but not as the kings of Yashar'el that were before him.
Against him came up Shalman'ecer king of Ashshur; and Husha became his servant, and gave him presents.
And the king of Ashshur found conspiracy in Husha: for he had sent messengers to So king of Mitsrayim, and brought no present to the king of Ashshur, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Ashshur shut him up, and bound him in prison.
Then the king of Ashshur came up throughout all the land, and went up to Shomeron, and besieged it three years.
In the ninth year of Husha the king of Ashshur took Shomeron, and carried Yashar'el away into Ashshurah, and placed them in Chalach and in Chavor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Madai.
For so it was, that the children of Yashar'el had sinned against Yahuah Elohayhem, which had brought them up out of the land of Mitsrayim, from under the hand of Phar'oh king of Mitsrayim, and had feared other elohiym,
And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom Yahuah cast out from before the children of Yashar'el, and of the kings of Yashar'el, which they had made.
And the children of Yashar'el did secretly those things that were not right against Yahuah Elohayhem, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the Natsariym to the fenced city.
And they set them up images and Asherah poles in every high hill, and under every green tree:
And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom Yahuah carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke Yahuah to anger:
For they served idols, whereof Yahuah had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
Yet Yahuah testified against Yashar'el, and against Yahudah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and guard my commandments and my statutes, according to all the Torah which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in Yahuah Elohayhem.
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he cut with their fathers, and את his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom Yahuah had charged them, that they should not do like them.
And they left all the commandments of Yahuah Elohayhem, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah pole, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Ba`al.
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Yahuah, to provoke him to anger.
Therefore Yahuah was very angry with Yashar'el, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Yahudah only.
Also Yahudah did not guard the commandments of Yahuah Elohayhem, but walked in the statutes of Yashar'el which they made.
And Yahuah rejected all the seed of Yashar'el, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
For he rent Yashar'el from the house of David; and they made Yarov'am the son of Nevat king: and Yarov'am drove Yashar'el from following Yahuah, and made them sin a great sin.
For the children of Yashar'el walked in all the sins of Yarov'am which he did; they departed not from them;
Until Yahuah removed Yashar'el out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Yashar'el carried away out of their own land to Ashshurah unto this day.
And the king of Ashshur brought men from Babel, and from Kuthah, and from Avva, and from Chamath, and from Cepharvayim, and placed them in the cities of Shomeron instead of the children of Yashar'el: and they possessed Shomeron, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Yahuah: therefore Yahuah sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
Wherefore they spoke to the king of Ashshur, saying, The nations which you have removed, and placed in the cities of Shomeron, know not the manner of the Elohai of the land: therefore he has sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the Elohai of the land.
Then the king of Ashshur commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the Elohai of the land.
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Shomeron came and dwelt in Beyt-El, and taught them how they should fear Yahuah.
Howbeit every nation made elohiym of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Shomeroniym had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
And the men of Babel made Cukkoth Benoth, and the men of Kuth made Nergal, and the men of Chamath made Ashiyma,
And the Avviym made Nivchaz and Tartaq, and the Cepharviym burnt their children in fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the elohiym of Cepharvayim.
So they feared Yahuah, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
They feared Yahuah, and served their own elohiym, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not Yahuah, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the Torah and commandment which Yahuah commanded the children of Ya`aqov, whom he named Yashar'el;
With whom Yahuah had cut a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other elohiym, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
But Yahuah, who brought you up out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the Torah, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall guard to do forevermore; and ye shall not fear other elohiym.
And the covenant that I have cut with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other elohiym.
But Yahuah Elohaykem ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
So these nations feared Yahuah, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.