the Heythē, whom the LORDE had dryuen out before the children of Israel, and dyd as the kynges of Israel, and prouoked ye LOR¦DE their God, and dyd secretly the thinges that were not righte in the sighte of ye LOR¦DE their God: namely in that they buylded them hye places in all cities, both in castels and stronge cities, and set vp pilers and gro¦ues, vpon all hye hilles, and amonge all gre∣ne trees, and brent incense there in all ye hye places, euen as dyd the Heythen, whom the LORDE had cast out before them, & wrough∣te wicked thinges, wherwith they prouoked the LORDE vnto wrath, & serued the Idols, wherof the LORDE sayde vnto them: Ye shal not do soch a thynge.
[ C] And whan the LORDE testified in Israel and Iuda by all the prophetes and Seers, sayenge: O turne agayne from youre euell wayes, and kepe my commaundemētes and ordynaunces, acordinge to all ye lawe which I gaue vnto youre fathers, and that I sent vnto you by my seruauntes the prophetes: they wolde not herken, but herdened their neckes, acordinge to the hardneck of their fathers, which beleued not on the LORDE their God. Yee they despysed his ordinaun∣ces and his couenaunt which he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he witnessed amonge them, and walked in their awne vanities, and became vayne folowin∣ge the Heythen, which dwelt rounde abou∣te them, concernynge whom the LORDE had commaunded them, that they shulde not do as they dyd. Neuertheles they forsoke all the commaundementes of the LORDE their God and made them two molten calues and groues, and worshipped all the hoost of heauen, & serued Baal, and caused their sonnes and doughters to go thorow the fy∣re, and medled wt soythsayers and witches, and gaue them selues ouer to do that which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE, to pro∣uoke him vnto wrath.
[ D] Then was the LORDE very wroth at Is∣rael, and put them awaye frō his presence, so yt there remayned nomo but onely ye trybe of Iuda. Nether dyd Iuda kepe the com∣maundemētes of the LORDE their God, but walked after the customes of Israel, which they dyd. Therfore dyd ye LORDE cast awaye all ye sede of Israel, and troubled them, and delyuered them in to the handes of the spoy¦lers, tyll he had cast them out of his presen∣ce: for Israel was deuyded from the house of Dauid. And they made thē a kynge, one Ie∣roboam the sonne of Nebat, which turned Israel back from ye LORDE, & caused thē to synne so sore. Thus walked the childrē of Is¦rael in all ye synnes of Ieroboam, which he had done, & departed not frō them, vntyll ye LORDE put Israel out of his presence, acor∣dinge as he had spokē by all his seruauntes [ E] ye prophetes. So Israel was caried awaye out of their awne londe to Assiria vnto this daye.
The kynge of Assiria caused men to come frō Babilon, from Cutha, frō Aua, from Hemath & Sepharuaim, & caused thē to inhabite ye cities in Samaria in steade of the children of Israel. And they toke posses∣sion of Samaria, & dwelt in ye same cities. But whā they begāne to dwell there, & fea∣red not ye LORDE, the LORDE sent lyons amō¦ge thē, which slewe them. And they caused it be sayde vnto ye kynge of Assiria: The Hey¦thē whom thou hast broughte hither, & cau¦sed them to inhabite the cities of Samaria, knowe not the lawe of ye God of the londe. Therfore hath he sent lyons amōge them, & beholde, they slaye thē, because they knowe not the ordinaunce of the God of the londe.
The kinge of Assiria cōmaunded & saide: [ F] Bringe thither one of ye prestes yt were ca∣ried awaye frō thence & let him go thither, & dwell there, & teach thē the ordinaū••e of the God of ye londe. Then came one of •• prestes which were caried awaye from Samaria, & dwelt at Bethel, & taughte them how they shulde feare ye LORDE. But euery people ma¦de thē goddes, & put thē in the houses vpon ye hye places, which the Samaritanes had made, euery people ī their cities wherin they dwelt. They of Babilō made Sochoth Be∣noth. They of Chut made Nergel. They of Hemath made Asima. They of Aua made Nibehas & Tharthak. They of Sepharua∣im burnt their sonnes vnto Adramelech and Anamelech ye goddes of thē of Sepharua∣im.
And whyle they feared ye LORDE, they made prestes in ye hye places of ye low∣est amonge them, & put them in ye houses of ye hye places: thus they feared ye LORDE, & serued ye goddes also, acordinge to ye custo¦me of euery nacion, from whence they were broughte. And vnto this daye do they after ye olde fashion, so yt they nether feare ye LOR¦DE, ner yet kepe their awne ordinaunces and lawes, after the lawe and commaundement that the LORDE cōmaunded the childrē of Iacob, vnto whom he gaue ye name of Is∣rael, and made a couenaunt with them, and commaunded them, and sayde: Feare no∣ne other goddes, and worshipe them not, and serue them not, and offer not vnto them▪