15
And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them, and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Gentiles that
were round about them,
concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God and made themselves molten images,
even two calves, and made groves and worshipped all the host of heaven and served Baal;
17
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 the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18
Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19
But not even Judah kept the commandments of the LORD their God; to the contrary, they walked in the statutes of Israel which
they themselves had made.
20
And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his presence.
21
For he rent Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king; and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin.
22
For the sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them
23
until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his slaves the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
24
And the king of Assyria brought
Gentiles from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim, and placed
them in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25
And
so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there
that they did not fear the LORD; therefore, the LORD sent lions against them, which slew
some of them.