La monarquía
The Reason for Israel's Fall
The text gives a theological summary of why the Lord allowed Israel to fall and be taken into exile in Assyria. The Israelites feared other gods, followed the customs of the nations, built high places, set up Asherah poles, worshiped Baal and the host of heaven, made their children pass through the fire, and practiced divination. They rejected the covenant and did not listen to the warnings of the prophets, but continued in the sin of Jeroboam until the Lord drove them away from his presence.
2 Reyes 17,7-23
7All this happened because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, out from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They feared other gods
וַיְהִ֗י כִּֽי־חָטְא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם הַמַּעֲלֶ֤ה אֹתָם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִתַּ֕חַת יַ֖ד פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
8and followed the customs of the nations the LORD had driven out before them, and the practices the kings of Israel had introduced.
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ בְּחֻקּ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹרִ֣ישׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּמַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשֽׂוּ׃
9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. They built themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.
וַיְחַפְּא֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל דְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־כֵ֔ן עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּבְנ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם בָּמוֹת֙ בְּכָל־עָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם מִמִּגְדַּ֥ל נוֹצְרִ֖ים עַד־עִ֥יר מִבְצָֽר׃
10They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree.
וַיַּצִּ֧בוּ לָהֶ֛ם מַצֵּב֖וֹת וַאֲשֵׁרִ֑ים עַ֚ל כָּל־גִּבְעָ֣ה גְבֹהָ֔ה וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃
11There, on every high place, they burned incense, just like the nations whom the LORD had carried into exile before them. They did wicked things that provoked the LORD to anger.
וַיְקַטְּרוּ־שָׁם֙ בְּכָל־בָּמ֔וֹת כַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁר־הֶגְלָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙ דְּבָרִ֣ים רָעִ֔ים לְהַכְעִ֖יס אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
12They served idols, though the LORD had said to them, "You shall not do this."
וַיַּֽעַבְד֖וּ הַגִּלֻּלִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
13The LORD warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer: "Turn back from your evil ways. Keep my commandments and my statutes, according to the whole law that I commanded your fathers and that I sent to you through my servants the prophets."
וַיָּ֣עַד יְהוָ֡ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל וּבִיהוּדָ֡ה בְּיַד֩ כָּל־*נביאו **נְבִיאֵ֨י כָל־חֹזֶ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר שֻׁ֜֠בוּ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֤ם הָֽרָעִים֙ וְשִׁמְרוּ֙ מִצְוֺתַ֣י חֻקּוֹתַ֔י כְּכָ֨ל־הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּ֖יתִי אֶת־אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וֽ͏ַאֲשֶׁר֙ שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם בְּיַ֖ד עֲבָדַ֥י הַנְּבִיאִֽים׃
14But they would not listen. They stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God.
וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ אֶת־עָרְפָּם֙ כְּעֹ֣רֶף אֲבוֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א הֶאֱמִ֔ינוּ בַּֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
15They rejected his statutes and the covenant he had made with their fathers, and the warnings he had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They followed the nations around them, though the LORD had commanded them not to imitate them.
וַיִּמְאֲס֣וּ אֶת־חֻקָּ֗יו וְאֶת־בְּרִיתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּרַ֣ת אֶת־אֲבוֹתָ֔ם וְאֵת֙ עֵֽדְוֺתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵעִ֖יד בָּ֑ם וַיֵּ֨לְכוּ אַחֲרֵ֤י הַהֶ֙בֶל֙ וַיֶּהְבָּ֔לוּ וְאַחֲרֵ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשׂ֥וֹת כָּהֶֽם׃
16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God. They made for themselves two cast metal calves, made an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
וַיַּעַזְב֗וּ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם מַסֵּכָ֖ה *שנים **שְׁנֵ֣י עֲגָלִ֑ים וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ אֲשֵׁירָ֗ה וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֙ לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־הַבָּֽעַל׃
17They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire, practiced divination and sorcery, and sold themselves to do what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
וַֽ֠יַּעֲבִירוּ אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם וְאֶת־בְּנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּקְסְמ֥וּ קְסָמִ֖ים וַיְנַחֵ֑שׁוּ וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃
18So the LORD was furious with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.
וַיִּתְאַנַּ֨ף יְהוָ֤ה מְאֹד֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיְסִרֵ֖ם מֵעַ֣ל פָּנָ֑יו לֹ֣א נִשְׁאַ֔ר רַ֛ק שֵׁ֥בֶט יְהוּדָ֖ה לְבַדּֽוֹ׃
19But even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God; they followed the customs Israel had introduced.
גַּם־יְהוּדָ֕ה לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔ר אֶת־מִצְוֺ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ בְּחֻקּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשֽׂוּ׃
20So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and handed them over to plunderers, until at last he cast them out of his presence.
וַיִּמְאַ֨ס יְהוָ֜ה בְּכָל־זֶ֤רַע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיְעַנֵּ֔ם וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיַד־שֹׁסִ֑ים עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁלִיכָ֖ם מִפָּנָֽיו׃
21For when he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drove Israel away from following the LORD and led them into great sin.
כִּֽי־קָרַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵעַל֙ בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֔ד וַיַּמְלִ֖יכוּ אֶת־יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֑ט *וידא **וַיַּדַּ֨ח יָרָבְעָ֤ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְהֶחֱטֵיאָ֖ם חֲטָאָ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃
22The Israelites persisted in all the sins Jeroboam had committed; they did not turn away from them,
וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּכָל־חַטֹּ֥אות יָרָבְעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה לֹא־סָ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
23until the LORD removed Israel from his presence, just as he had said through all his servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria, where they remain to this day.
עַ֠ד אֲשֶׁר־הֵסִ֨יר יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵעַ֣ל פָּנָ֔יו כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַ֖ד כָּל־עֲבָדָ֣יו הַנְּבִיאִ֑ים וַיִּ֨גֶל יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל מֵעַ֤ל אַדְמָתוֹ֙ אַשּׁ֔וּרָה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ פ