1
In the twelfth*year of Ahazking of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israelnineyears.
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3
Against him came upShalmaneserking of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave[a] him presents.
4
And the king of Assyriafoundconspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sentmessengers to Soking of Egypt, and brought no present[b] to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison*.
5
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it threeyears.
6
In the ninthyear of Hoshea the king of AssyriatookSamaria, and carriedIsraelaway into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7
For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaohking of Egypt, and had fearedothergods,
8
And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
9
And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fencedcity.
10
And they set them upimages[c] and groves in every highhill, and under every greentree: