The Fall of Samaria

The king of Assyria came through the land and besieged Samaria for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, Samaria was taken. Israel was carried away to Assyria and placed in Halah, on the Habor river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

The passage says this happened because the people of Israel sinned against Yahweh, who had brought them out of Egypt. They feared other gods, followed the practices of other nations and of Israel's kings, built high places, set up pillars and Asherah poles, burned incense there, and served idols, though Yahweh had forbidden it.

Yahweh had warned Israel and Judah through prophets and seers to turn back and keep his commands. But they would not listen. Israel rejected his covenant, made images, including two calves, worshipped the sky's host, served Baal, and even made their sons and daughters pass through the fire. Yahweh removed Israel from his sight. Judah alone remained at that time, though Judah also did not keep Yahweh's commands.

Israel had long followed the sins of Jeroboam, until they were carried away, just as Yahweh had said through his servants the prophets.

Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to live in Samaria's cities instead of the Israelites. At first they did not fear Yahweh, so lions killed some of them. When this was reported to the king, he sent back one of the priests taken from Samaria. The priest lived in Bethel and taught them how they should fear Yahweh.

But the new peoples did not worship Yahweh alone. Each group made its own gods and used the high places. The Sepharvites even burned their children in the fire to their gods. So they mixed worship: they were said to fear Yahweh, yet they also served their own gods and images. The passage says they did not keep Yahweh's covenant, laws, and commands, and their children and grandchildren went on doing the same.