Yahweh's judgement continues against the new Assyrian inhabitants who practice their pagan religions.

## Cuthah...Avva...Hamath...Sepharvaim ##

Places in the Assyrian empire. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

## It happened at the beginning of their residence there ##

AT: "When those people first lived there"

## that they did not honor Yahweh ##

The new people did not worship or seek to honor Yahweh.

## The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria ##

AT: "The people you have moved from other lands and sent to live in the cities of Samaria"

## do not know the practices required by the god of the land ##

"do not know how to worship the God that the Israelites worshipped in this land" (UDB)