~ The End of Israel ~

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah,
Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned nine years.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

Shalmanese king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea,
who had been Shalmaneser's vassal
and had paid him tribute.
But the king of Assyria discovered
that Hoshea was a traitor,
for he had sent envoys to So King of Egypt,
and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria,
as he had done year by year.
Therefore Shalmanese seized him
and put him in prison.
The king of Assyria invaded the entire land,
marched against Samaria
and laid siege to it for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea,
the king of Assyria captured Samaria
and deported the Israelites to Assyria.
He settled them in Halah,
in Gozan on the Harbor River
and in the towns of the Medes.

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon,
Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim
and settled them in the towns of Samaria
to replace the Israelites.
They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.
When they first lived there,
they did not worship the Lord;
so He sent lions among them
and they killed some of the people.
It was reported to the king of Assyria:
"The people you deported
and resettled in the towns of Samaria
do not know what the God of that country requires.
He has sent lions among them,
which are killing them off,
because the people do not know what He requires."

(II Kings 17:1-6; 24-26)