² He did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³ Shalmaneser^(B) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.^{(C) 4} But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So^[a] king of Egypt,^(D) and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.^{(E) 5} The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege^(F) to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria^(G) captured Samaria^(H) and deported^(I) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan^(J) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned^(K) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt^(L) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods

⁷ And the Lord was with him; he was successful^(A) in whatever he undertook. He rebelled^(B) against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸ From watchtower to fortified city,^(C) he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

⁹ In King Hezekiah’s fourth year,^(D) which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. ¹⁰ At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.