20. so the Lord rejected all the people of Israel. He punished them and let others destroy them; he threw them out of his presence.
21. When the Lord separated them from the family of David, the Israelites made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam led the Israelites away from the Lord and led them to sin greatly.
22. So they continued to do all the sins Jeroboam did. They did not stop doing these sins
23. until the Lord removed the Israelites from his presence, just as he had said through all his servants the prophets. So the Israelites were taken out of their land to Assyria, and they have been there to this day.
24. The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and put them in the cities of Samaria to replace the Israelites. These people took over Samaria and lived in the cities.
25. At first they did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions among them which killed some of them.