24The king of Assyria came from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Ivvah, from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim. He settled people in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.25At the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. So the LORD sent lions among them, and the lions 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 land. He therefore sent lions among them, and behold, the lions are killing them because the people know nothing of the justice of the God of the land.27The king of Assyria commanded, Send one of the priests whom you exiled from there so that he may go and live there and teach them the justice of the God of the land.28One of the priests whom they had exiled from Samaria came and settled in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should fear the LORD.29Each nation made its own gods and placed them in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans had built, nation by nation, in the cities where they lived.30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth; the men of Cuthah made Nergal; the men of Hamath made Ashima.31The Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak. The people of Sepharvaim burned their sons in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.32They feared the LORD and appointed for themselves priests of the high places from among their own people, and these priests served them in the houses of the high places.33They feared the LORD, yet they also served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from which they had been exiled.34To this day they continue to practice the former customs. They do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow the statutes, the customs, the instruction, or the commandment that the LORD gave to the sons of Jacob, whom he named Israel.35The LORD made a covenant with them and commanded them, You shall not fear other gods, bow down to them, serve them, or sacrifice to them.36Rather, you shall fear the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow down to him and sacrifice to him.37You shall keep the statutes, the customs, the instruction, and the commandment that he wrote for you, doing them all your days, and you shall not fear other gods.38You shall not forget the covenant that I made with you, and you shall not fear other gods.39Rather, you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will rescue you from the hand of all your enemies.40But they did not listen; instead they continued to practice their former customs.41These nations feared the LORD while serving their idols. Their children and their grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did, to this day.