Kuningasaika
The Origin and Mixed Faith of the Samaritans
The Assyrian king moved people from Babel, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to the cities of Samaria. When lions attacked them because they did not fear the Lord, a priest taken captive was sent to Bethel to teach them the customs of the land. The peoples feared the Lord, but at the same time continued to worship their own gods such as Succoth-Benoth, Nergal, and Ashima—a mixed faith that endured.
2. Kuningasten kirja 17,24-41
24The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
וַיָּבֵ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֡וּר מִבָּבֶ֡ל וּ֠מִכּוּ֠תָה וּמֵעַוָּ֤א וּמֵֽחֲמָת֙ וּסְפַרְוַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן תַּ֖חַת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּֽרְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־שֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַיֵּֽשְׁב֖וּ בְּעָרֶֽיהָ׃
25When they first settled there, they did not fear the LORD, so the LORD sent lions among them, and the lions killed some of them.
וַיְהִ֗י בִּתְחִלַּת֙ שִׁבְתָּ֣ם שָׁ֔ם לֹ֥א יָרְא֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח יְהוָ֤ה בָּהֶם֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲרָי֔וֹת וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ הֹרְגִ֖ים בָּהֶֽם׃
26Word was sent to the king of Assyria: "The nations you deported and settled in the towns of Samaria do not know the practice of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them, and they are killing them off, because the people do not know the practice of the God of the land."
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁוּר֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִגְלִ֙יתָ֙ וַתּ֙וֹשֶׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיְשַׁלַּח־בָּ֣ם אֶת־הָאֲרָי֗וֹת וְהִנָּם֙ מְמִיתִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ אֵינָ֣ם יֹדְעִ֔ים אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
27Then the king of Assyria gave this order: "Send back one of the priests you deported from there. Let him go and live there and teach them the practice of the God of the land."
וַיְצַ֨ו מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֜וּר לֵאמֹ֗ר הֹלִ֤יכוּ שָׁ֙מָּה֙ אֶחָ֤ד מֵהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִגְלִיתֶ֣ם מִשָּׁ֔ם וְיֵלְכ֖וּ וְיֵ֣שְׁבוּ שָׁ֑ם וְיֹרֵ֕ם אֶת־מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
28So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria came and settled in Bethel, and he taught them how to fear the LORD.
וַיָּבֹ֞א אֶחָ֣ד מֵהַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִגְלוּ֙ מִשֹּׁ֣מְר֔וֹן וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֑ל וַֽיְהִי֙ מוֹרֶ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם אֵ֖יךְ יִֽירְא֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
29Yet each nation went on making its own gods, and they set them up in the shrines the Samaritans had built at the high places, each nation in the towns where they lived.
וַיִּהְי֣וּ עֹשִׂ֔ים גּ֥וֹי גּ֖וֹי אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיַּנִּ֣יחוּ ׀ בְּבֵ֣ית הַבָּמ֗וֹת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרֹנִ֔ים גּ֥וֹי גּוֹי֙ בְּעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם יֹשְׁבִ֖ים שָֽׁם׃
30The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בָבֶ֗ל עָשׂוּ֙ אֶת־סֻכּ֣וֹת בְּנ֔וֹת וְאַנְשֵׁי־כ֔וּת עָשׂ֖וּ אֶת־נֵֽרְגַ֑ל וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י חֲמָ֖ת עָשׂ֥וּ אֶת־אֲשִׁימָֽא׃
31The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
וְהָעַוִּ֛ים עָשׂ֥וּ נִבְחַ֖ז וְאֶת־תַּרְתָּ֑ק וְהַסְפַרְוִ֗ים שֹׂרְפִ֤ים אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ לְאַדְרַמֶּ֥לֶךְ וַֽעֲנַמֶּ֖לֶךְ *אלה **אֱלֹהֵ֥י *ספרים **סְפַרְוָֽיִם׃
32They feared the LORD, but they also appointed men from their own ranks as priests of the high places, and these officiated for them in the shrines of the high places.
וַיִּהְי֥וּ יְרֵאִ֖ים אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם מִקְצוֹתָם֙ כֹּהֲנֵ֣י בָמ֔וֹת וַיִּהְי֛וּ עֹשִׂ֥ים לָהֶ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַבָּמֽוֹת׃
33They feared the LORD, yet they served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been deported.
אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה הָי֣וּ יְרֵאִ֑ים וְאֶת־אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶם֙ הָי֣וּ עֹֽבְדִ֔ים כְּמִשְׁפַּט֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִגְל֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִשָּֽׁם׃
34To this day they persist in their former customs. They do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow the statutes and ordinances, the law and the commandment that the LORD gave the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
עַ֣ד הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ הֵ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים כַּמִּשְׁפָּטִ֖ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים אֵינָ֤ם יְרֵאִים֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְאֵינָ֣ם עֹשִׂ֗ים כְּחֻקֹּתָם֙ וּכְמִשְׁפָּטָ֔ם וְכַתּוֹרָ֣ה וְכַמִּצְוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֥ם שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
35For the LORD had made a covenant with them and commanded them: "Do not fear other gods or bow down to them, do not serve them or sacrifice to them.
וַיִּכְרֹ֨ת יְהוָ֤ה אִתָּם֙ בְּרִ֔ית וַיְצַוֵּ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תִֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א תַעַבְד֔וּם וְלֹ֥א תִזְבְּח֖וּ לָהֶֽם׃
36But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm—him you shall fear, to him you shall bow down, and to him you shall sacrifice.
כִּ֣י אִֽם־אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ הֶעֱלָ֨ה אֶתְכֶ֜ם מֵאֶ֧רֶץ מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּכֹ֧חַ גָּד֛וֹל וּבִזְר֥וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֖ה אֹת֣וֹ תִירָ֑אוּ וְל֥וֹ תִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ וְל֥וֹ תִזְבָּֽחוּ׃
37You shall always be careful to keep the statutes and ordinances, the law and the commandment that he wrote for you. Do not fear other gods.
וְאֶת־הַחֻקִּ֨ים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֜ים וְהַתּוֹרָ֤ה וְהַמִּצְוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּתַ֣ב לָכֶ֔ם תִּשְׁמְר֥וּן לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים וְלֹ֥א תִֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
38Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not fear other gods.
וְהַבְּרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥תִּי אִתְּכֶ֖ם לֹ֣א תִשְׁכָּ֑חוּ וְלֹ֥א תִֽירְא֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
39Rather, fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."
כִּ֛י אִֽם־אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם תִּירָ֑אוּ וְהוּא֙ יַצִּ֣יל אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִיַּ֖ד כָּל־אֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃
40But they would not listen; they kept following their former customs.
וְלֹ֖א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ כִּ֛י אִֽם־כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֥ם הָֽרִאשׁ֖וֹן הֵ֥ם עֹשִֽׂים׃
41So these nations feared the LORD, yet they served their carved images; and their children and their children's children continue to this day to do just as their fathers did.
וַיִּהְי֣וּ ׀ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה יְרֵאִים֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְאֶת־פְּסִֽילֵיהֶ֖ם הָי֣וּ עֹֽבְדִ֑ים גַּם־בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם ׀ וּבְנֵ֣י בְנֵיהֶ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשׂ֤וּ אֲבֹתָם֙ הֵ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ פ