²⁵ When they first settled there, they did not worship the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. ²⁶ So the king of Assyria was told, ‘The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them; they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.’ ²⁷ Then the king of Assyria commanded, ‘Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there; let him^[a] go and live there, and teach them the law of the god of the land.’