18. So יהוה was very enraged with Yisra’ĕl, and removed them from His presence – none was left but the tribe of Yehuḏah alone.
19. Yehuḏah, also, did not guard the commands of יהוה their Elohim, but walked in the laws of Yisra’ĕl which they made.
20. And יהוה rejected all the seed of Yisra’ĕl, and afflicted them, and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them out from His presence.
21. For He tore Yisra’ĕl from the house of Dawiḏ, and they made Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat sovereign. And Yaroḇ‛am drove Yisra’ĕl from following יהוה, and made them commit a great sin.
22. And the children of Yisra’ĕl walked in all the sins of Yaroḇ‛am which he did. They did not turn away from them,
23. until יהוה removed Yisra’ĕl from His presence, as He spoke by all His servants the prophets. So Yisra’ĕl was exiled from their land to Ashshur, as it is to this day.
24. And the sovereign of Ashshur brought people from Baḇel, and from Kuthah, and from Awwa, and from Ḥamath, and Sepharwayim, and placed them in the cities of Shomeron instead of the children of Yisra’ĕl. And they took possession of Shomeron and dwelt in its cities.
25. And it came to be, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear יהוה, and יהוה sent lions among them, which kept on slaying among them.
26. And they spoke to the sovereign of Ashshur, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Shomeron do not know the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land. And He has sent lions among them, and see, they are slaying among them because they do not know the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land.”
27. And the sovereign of Ashshur commanded, saying, “Send one of the priests whom you exiled from there, to go there. Let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the right-ruling of the Elohim of the land.”
28. And one of the priests whom they had exiled from Shomeron came and dwelt in Bĕyth Ěl, and taught them how to fear יהוה.