17:24 亞述王從巴比倫、古他、亞瓦、哈馬，和西法瓦音遷移人來，安置在撒馬利亞的城邑，代替以色列人；他們就得了撒馬利亞，住在其中。
17:25 他們才住那裡的時候，不敬畏耶和華，所以耶和華叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死了些人。
17:26 有人告訴亞述王說：「你所遷移安置在撒馬利亞各城的那些民，不知道那地之神的規矩，所以那神叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死他們。」
17:27 亞述王就吩咐說：「叫所擄來的祭司回去一個，使他住在那裡，將那地之神的規矩指教那些民。」
17:28 於是有一個從撒馬利亞擄去的祭司回來，住在伯特利，指教他們怎樣敬畏耶和華。
17:29 然而，各族之人在所住的城裡各為自己製造神像，安置在撒馬利亞人所造有邱壇的殿中。
17:30 巴比倫人造疏割‧比訥像；古他人造匿甲像；哈馬人造亞示瑪像；
17:31 亞瓦人造匿哈和他珥他像；西法瓦音人用火焚燒兒女，獻給西法瓦音的神亞得米勒和亞拿米勒。
17:32 他們懼怕耶和華，也從他們中間立邱壇的祭司，為他們在有邱壇的殿中獻祭。
17:33 他們又懼怕耶和華，又事奉自己的神，從何邦遷移，就隨何邦的風俗。
17:34 他們直到如今仍照先前的風俗去行，不專心敬畏耶和華，不全守自己的規矩、典章，也不遵守耶和華吩咐雅各後裔的律法、誡命。〈雅各，就是從前耶和華起名叫以色列的。〉
17:35 耶和華曾與他們立約，囑咐他們說：「不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉他，也不可向他獻祭。
17:36 但那用大能和伸出來的膀臂領你們出埃及地的耶和華，你們當敬畏，跪拜，向他獻祭。
17:37 他給你們寫的律例、典章、律法、誡命，你們應當永遠謹守遵行，不可敬畏別神。
17:38 我─耶和華與你們所立的約你們不可忘記，也不可敬畏別神。
17:39 但要敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝，他必救你們脫離一切仇敵的手。」
17:40 他們卻不聽從，仍照先前的風俗去行。
17:41 如此這些民又懼怕耶和華，又事奉他們的偶像。他們子子孫孫也都照樣行，效法他們的祖宗，直到今日。
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”
27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.
29 Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
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以色列滅國之後，亞述王將外族的人遷入的時候，因為這些人敬拜偶像，就惹上帝的怒氣，於是耶和華叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死了些人。
雖然有人向亞述王說：「你所遷移安置在撒馬利亞各城的那些民，不知道那地之神的規矩，所以那神叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死他們。」
亞述王就吩咐說：「叫所擄來的祭司回去一個，使他住在那裡，將那地之神的規矩指教那些民。」
於是有一個從撒馬利亞擄去的祭司回來，住在伯特利，指教他們怎樣敬畏耶和華。然而，各族之人在所住的城裡各為自己製造神像，安置在撒馬利亞人所造有邱壇的殿中。
從這個情形看來，這一群外族人只是從眾神再加耶和華為上帝而已，並不是單一的敬拜耶和華上帝！而這些人，就是主耶穌時代的撒馬利亞人的祖先，怪不得猶太人與他們相隔離，不相往來！
今日我們成為基督徒，就要將過去所崇拜的假神除去，不可以拜別神又敬拜上帝，這樣如撒馬利亞人的信仰方式是上帝所不喜悅的！我們要記得聖經在這裡一再提醒的：「不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉他，也不可向他獻祭。但那用大能和伸出來的膀臂領你們出埃及地的耶和華，你們當敬畏，跪拜，向他獻祭。他給你們寫的律例、典章、律法、誡命，你們應當永遠謹守遵行，不可敬畏別神。我─耶和華與你們所立的約你們不可忘記，也不可敬畏別神。但要敬畏耶和華─你們的上帝，他必救你們脫離一切仇敵的手。」
今天我們在基督裡得成為上帝的兒女，更是要記住與履行這樣的教導：「敬畏上帝，不可敬畏別神，不可跪拜事奉別神，也不可向別神獻祭。」
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