2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
3
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and rendered him tribute.
4
And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no present 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 three years.
6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away 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, who had 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 they 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 themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
10
And they set up for themselves images and Asherah poles in every high hill and under every green tree;
11
and there they burned incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them, and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger.
12
For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, "Ye shall not do this thing."