18. The Lord became enraged, and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.
19. Even the people of Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord, their God, but followed the rites practiced by Israel.
20. So the Lord rejected the entire people of Israel: he afflicted them and delivered them over to plunderers, finally casting them from his presence.
21. When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, king; but Jeroboam lured the Israelites away from the Lord, causing them to commit a great sin.
22. The Israelites imitated Jeroboam in all the sins he committed; they would not depart from them.
23. Finally, the Lord removed Israel from his presence, just as he had declared through all his servants, the prophets. Thus Israel went into exile from their native soil to Assyria until this very day.
24. The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities.
25. When they first settled there, they did not venerate the Lord, so he sent lions among them that killed some of them.