24The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim. They dwelt in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel, and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in its cities.25And it was at the beginning of their dwelling there that they did not fear the LORD, and the LORD sent lions among them, and they were killing some of them.26They said to the king of Assyria, "The nations that you exiled and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the justice of the God of the earth, and he has sent lions among them, and now they are killing them, as they do not know the justice of the God of the earth."27And the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Go there, one of the priests whom you exiled from there." And they went and dwelt there and taught the justice of the gods of the earth.28One of the priests whom they had exiled from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and he taught them how they should fear the LORD.29Each nation was making its own gods, and they set them in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans had made, nation by nation, in the cities where they were dwelling.30And the men of Babel made Sukkoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima.31And the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites were burning their sons in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.32And they were fearing the LORD, and they made for themselves from their ends priests of high places, and they were doing for them in the house of the high places.33They feared the LORD, and they served their gods according to the custom of the nations from which they had been exiled.34To this day they do according to the judgments of the first ones; they do not fear the LORD, and they do not do according to their statute and their judgment and Torah and commandment which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, which he put his name Israel.35And the LORD cut a covenant with them and commanded them, saying, "Do not fear other gods, and do not bow down to them, and do not serve them, and do not sacrifice to them."36for except the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with outstretched arm, him you shall fear and to him you shall prostrate and to him you shall sacrifice.37And the statutes and the judgments and the Torah and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall keep to do all the days, and you shall not fear other gods.38And the covenant that I cut with you you shall not forget, and you shall not fear other gods.39But you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will save you from the hand of all your enemies.40They did not obey, but they continued doing according to their former custom.41These nations were fearing the LORD, and they were serving their cultic images; also their sons and the sons of their sons—as their fathers did—they are doing to this day.