24. Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and put them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. They possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.
25. Right at the beginning of their settling there, they did not fear the Lord, so the Lord sent lions among them, and they killed some of them.
26. So they said to the king of Assyria, “The nations which you have exiled and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore He has sent lions among them; they are killing them, because they do not know the requirements of the god of the land.”
27. Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Escort back one of the priests whom you exiled from there and let him go and dwell there. Let him teach them the law of the god of the land.”
28. Then one of the priests whom they had exiled from Samaria came and lived in Bethel. He taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29. But each nation was making its own gods, and they put them in the houses of the high places that the people of Samaria had made, each nation in the cities where they were living.
30. The men of Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, the men of Kuthah made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31. the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak. The Sepharvites were burning their children in fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32. They feared the Lord and made from amongst themselves priests of the high places, who were working for them in the houses of the high places.
33. They feared the Lord, and they were serving their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they exiled from there.