2 Kings 17 – NIV & CCBT

New International Version

2 Kings 17:1-41

Hoshea Last King of Israel

1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

3Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So17:4 So is probably an abbreviation for Osorkon. king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. 5The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

7All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 11At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. 12They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”17:12 Exodus 20:4,5 13The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”

14But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

16They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. 17They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

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

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

Samaria Resettled

24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26It 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.”

27Then 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.” 28So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

29Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. 30The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

34To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

40They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

列王紀下 17:1-41

何細亞做以色列王

1猶大亞哈斯執政第十二年,以拉的兒子何細亞撒瑪利亞登基做以色列王,執政九年。 2他做耶和華視為惡的事,不過沒有他之前的以色列諸王那麼敗壞。 3亞述撒縵以色攻打以色列何細亞納貢稱臣。 4然而,何細亞差遣使者向埃及求援,不再像往年那樣向亞述王進貢。亞述王發現後,把他抓起來囚在獄中。 5亞述王攻打以色列全境,並圍困撒瑪利亞三年。 6何細亞執政第九年,撒瑪利亞淪陷。亞述王把以色列人擄到亞述,安置在哈臘歌散哈博河一帶以及瑪代人的各城。

以色列人的罪惡史

7以色列人之所以有如此下場,是因為他們的上帝耶和華領他們出埃及,從埃及王法老手中救出他們,他們卻犯罪得罪祂。他們祭拜別的神明, 8效法耶和華在他們面前趕走的外族人的風俗和以色列諸王奉行的習俗。 9以色列人暗中做不義之事,冒犯他們的上帝耶和華。從瞭望塔到堅城,他們在各地建邱壇, 10在各高崗上、綠樹下立神柱和亞舍拉神像, 11在各邱壇燒香,如同耶和華在他們面前趕走的外族人一樣。他們邪惡的行為激怒了耶和華。 12儘管耶和華警告他們不可祭拜偶像,他們仍然執迷不悟。

13耶和華藉著祂的眾先知和先見警告以色列人和猶大人說:「你們要離開惡道,遵守我的誡命和律例,即我吩咐你們祖先遵守並藉著我的僕人——眾先知傳給你們的律法。」 14但他們充耳不聞,像他們祖先一樣頑固不化,不信靠他們的上帝耶和華, 15拒絕遵守祂的律例和祂與他們祖先所立的約,無視祂的警告。他們隨從虛無的偶像,自己也變得虛無。他們違背耶和華的命令,去效法周圍的外族人。 16他們把他們的上帝耶和華的誡命拋諸腦後,鑄造了兩個金牛犢,還造了亞舍拉神像。他們祭拜巴力和天上的萬象, 17把自己的兒女燒死獻作祭物。他們占卜,行邪術,出賣自己去做耶和華視為惡的事,惹祂發怒。

18因此,耶和華非常憤怒,從祂面前趕走以色列人,只留下猶大一個支派。 19猶大人也不遵守他們的上帝耶和華的誡命,反而效法以色列人的惡行。 20於是,耶和華棄絕了以色列全族,使他們飽嚐痛苦,任人宰割,直至把他們從自己眼前趕走。 21祂使以色列大衛家分裂出來,以色列人便擁立尼八的兒子耶羅波安為王。耶羅波安誘使以色列人遠離耶和華,使他們犯了大罪。 22以色列人沉溺於耶羅波安所犯的一切罪中,始終不肯回頭, 23直到耶和華把他們從自己眼前趕走,正如祂藉自己的僕人——眾先知對他們的警告。這樣,以色列人被擄到亞述,至今仍住在那裡。

外族人移居撒瑪利亞

24亞述王把巴比倫古他亞瓦哈馬西法瓦音等地的一些居民遷移到撒瑪利亞各城,代替以色列人。 25剛遷居到那裡的時候,他們不敬拜耶和華,所以耶和華差遣獅子闖入他們當中,咬死了一些人。 26有人稟告亞述王說:「你遷移到撒瑪利亞各城的那些人不知道當地神明的規矩,所以神明就差遣獅子闖入他們當中,咬死了一些人。」 27亞述王便下令:「派一位被擄來的祭司回去,讓他住在那裡,把當地神明的規矩教導給他們。」 28於是,有一位從撒瑪利亞被擄走的祭司回去住在伯特利,教導他們怎樣敬拜耶和華。

29可是,這些從各地遷來的民族都在所住的各城為自己製造神像,供奉在撒瑪利亞人在高崗上建造的神廟中。 30巴比倫人造疏割·比訥神像,古他人造匿甲神像,哈馬人造亞示瑪神像, 31亞瓦人造匿哈他珥他神像,西法瓦音人焚燒兒女向他們的神明亞得米勒亞拿米勒獻祭。 32他們也敬拜耶和華,卻委任各種人做祭司,在高崗上的神廟為他們獻祭。 33他們就這樣既敬拜耶和華,又各按各的風俗供奉自己的神明。

34直到現在,他們仍然執迷不悟,不敬畏耶和華,也不遵行耶和華賜給雅各子孫的律例、典章、法度和誡命。耶和華曾給雅各取名叫以色列35與他的子孫立約,吩咐他們:「不可祭拜其他神明,不可跪拜和供奉他們,也不可向他們獻祭。 36耶和華伸出大能的臂膀把你們領出埃及,你們要敬拜祂,要向祂跪拜、獻祭。 37你們要永遠謹遵祂所定的律例、典章、法度和誡命,不可祭拜其他神明。 38不可忘記我與你們立的約,不可祭拜其他神明。 39我是你們的上帝耶和華,你們要敬拜我,我必從一切仇敵手中救你們。」 40但是他們沒有聽從,依然仿效先前的風俗。 41那些移民到撒瑪利亞各城的外族人既敬拜耶和華,又供奉自己的偶像。直到今日,他們的子孫仍是這樣。