2 Kings 17:24-26

New American Standard Bible 1995

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

^24 (A)The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from ^[a](B)Avva and from ^(C)Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. ²⁵ At the beginning of their living there, they ^(D)did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them. ²⁶ So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”