The fall of Samaria. In 722 BC the Assyrian king carried Israel into exile - and 2 Kings 17 is Scripture’s own verdict on why.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign He reigned for nine years in Samaria over Israel
He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight yet not as the kings of Israel before him Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him and Hoshea became his servant And brought him tribute The king of Assyria discovered a conspiracy in Hoshea For he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt
And offered no tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year Therefore the king of Assyria seized him and bound him in prison Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land Went up to Samaria and besieged it three years
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria And carried Israel away to Assyria and placed them in Halah and on the Habor The river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD
Their God who brought them up out of the land of Egypt From under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt And had feared other gods and walked in the statutes of the nations Whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel
The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right Against the LORD their God and they built high places For themselves in all their cities from the tower of the watchmen To the fortified city
And they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill And under every green tree and there they burnt incense In all the high places as the nations whom the LORD carried away before them did And they did wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger
Yet the LORD testified to Israel and to Judah by every prophet and every seer Saying Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments And my statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers And which I sent to you by my servants the prophets
Notwithstanding they would not listen but hardened their neck Like the neck of their fathers who didn’t believe in the LORD their God
Listen
2 Kings 17 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.
Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press