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.
29. But every nation was making mighty ones of its own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Shomeronites had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt.
30. And the men of Baḇel made Sukkoth Benoth, and the men of Kuth made Nĕrg̅al, and the men of Ḥamath made Ashima,
31. and the Awwites made Niḇḥaz and Tartaq. And the Sepharwites burned their children in fire to Aḏrammeleḵ and Anammeleḵ, the mighty ones of Sepharim.
32. They also feared יהוה, and from every class they made for themselves priests of the high places, who offered for them in the house of the high places.
33. They were fearing יהוה, and they were serving their own mighty ones, according to the ruling of the nations from among whom they had been exiled.
34. To this day they are doing according to the former rulings: they are not fearing יהוה, nor do they follow their laws or their right-rulings, or the Torah and command which יהוה had commanded the children of Ya‛aqoḇ, whose name He made Yisra’ĕl,
35. with whom יהוה had made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “Do not fear other mighty ones, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor slaughter to them;
36. but יהוה, who brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves, and to Him you shall slaughter.
37. “And guard to do forever the laws, and the right-rulings, and the Torah, and the command which He wrote for you. And do not fear other mighty ones.
38. “And do not forget the covenant that I have made with you, and do not fear other mighty ones.
39. “But fear יהוה your Elohim, so that He delivers you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40. And they did not obey, but did according to their former ruling.