2 Amakhosi 17
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokubusa kuka-Ahazi inkosi yakoJuda, uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya, njalo wabusa iminyaka eyisificamunwemunye.
In the twelfth year of Achaz king of Juda began Osee the son of Ela to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
2 Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo, kodwa akubanga njengokwamakhosi ako-Israyeli amandulelayo.
And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, only not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
3 UShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya weza wahlasela uHosheya, owayekade eyisichaka sakhe esasithela kuye.
Against him came up Salamanassar king of the Assyrians; and Osee became his servant, and rendered him tribute.
4 Kodwa inkosi yase-Asiriya yafumana ukuthi uHosheya ngumhlamuki, ngoba wayekade ethumele amanxusa enkosini yaseGibhithe uSo, njalo engasatheli imithelo enkosini yase-Asiriya njengalokhu ayekwenza minyaka yonke. Ngakho uShalimaneseri wambamba wamfaka entolongweni.
And the king of the Assyrians found iniquity in Osee, in that he sent messengers to Segor king of Egypt, and brought not a tribute to the king of the Assyrians in that year: and the king of the Assyrians besieged him, and bound him in the prison-house.
5 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yasihlasela ilizwe lonke, yangena eSamariya yalivimbezela okweminyaka emithathu.
And the king of the Assyrians went up against all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it [for] three years.
6 Ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumba iSamariya yaxotshela abako-Israyeli e-Asiriya. Yabahlalisa eHala, ngaseGozani eMfuleni uHabhori lasemizini yamaMede.
In the ninth year of Osee the king of the Assyrians took Samaria, and carried Israel away to the Assyrians, and settled them in Alae, and in Abor, [near] the rivers of Gozan, and [in] the mountains of the Medes.
7 Konke lokhu kwenzakala ngenxa yokona kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaThixo, owabakhupha eGibhithe emandleni kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu
For it came to pass that the children of Israel [had] transgressed against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and they feared other gods,
8 belandela lemikhuba yezizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo kanye lemikhuba amakhosi ako-Israyeli ayeseyingenisile.
and walked in the statutes of the nations which the Lord cast out before the face of the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel as many as did [such things],
9 Basebesenza ngasese izinto ezazingalunganga kuThixo. Kusukela emphongolweni wesilindo kusiya enqabeni yomuzi basebezakhele izindawo zokukhonzela emizini yabo.
and [in those] of the children of Israel as many as secretly practised customs, not as [they should have done], against the Lord their God:
10 Bazimisela amatshe okukhonzela lezinsika zika-Ashera kuwo wonke amaqaqa aphakemeyo langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.
and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city. And they made for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill, and under every shady tree.
11 Kuzozonke izindawo zokukhonzela batshisa impepha, njengalokhu okwakusenziwa yizizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo. Benza okubi okwathukuthelisa uThixo.
And burned incense there on all high places, as the nations [did] whom the Lord removed from before them, and dealt with familiar spirits, and they carved [images] to provoke the Lord to anger.
12 Bakhonza izithombe, lanxa uThixo wayethe, “Lingabokwenza lokhu.”
And they served the idols, of which the Lord said to them, Ye shall not do this thing [against] the Lord.
13 UThixo wayebaxwayisile abako-Israyeli kanye labakoJuda ngabaphrofethi bakhe bonke lezanuse wathi: “Tshiyani izindlela zenu ezimbi. Gcinani imithetho yami lezimiso zami ezisemlayweni engalaya okhokho benu ngawo lengawuthumela kini ngezinceku zami abaphrofethi.”
And the Lord testified against Israel and against Juda, even by the hand of all his prophets, [and] of every seer, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my ordinances, and all the law which I commanded your fathers, [and] all that I sent to them by the hand of my servants the prophets.
14 Kodwa abalalelanga njalo baba ntamolukhuni njengabokhokho babo, bona abangazange bathembele kuThixo wabo.
But they hearkened not, and made their neck harder than the neck of their fathers.
15 Balahla izimiso zakhe lesivumelwano asenza labokhokho babo lezixwayiso ayebanike zona. Balandela izithombe eziyize, labo ngokwabo baba yize, balingisela izizwe ababehlala phakathi kwazo lanxa uThixo wayebalaye wathi, “Lingenzi njengabo,” njalo benza izinto ayebanqabele ukuthi bazenze.
And they kept not any of his testimonies which he charged them; and they walked after vanities, and became vain, and after the nations round about them, concerning which the Lord had charged them not to do accordingly.
16 Bayephula yonke imilayo kaThixo wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezikhandiweyo ezamathole amabili, benza insika ku-Ashera. Bakhothamela zonke izinkanyezi zezulu, njalo bakhonza uBhali.
They forsook the commandments of the Lord their God, and made themselves graven images, [even] two heifers, and they made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 Benza umhlatshelo ngamadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni. Babevumisa njalo besenza ubuthakathi, bazinikela ekwenzeni okubi phambi kukaThixo bamthukuthelisa.
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divinations and auspices, and sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him.
18 Ngakho uThixo wabathukuthelela abako-Israyeli wabaxotsha kuye. Isizwana sakoJuda yiso kuphela esasalayo,
And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; and there was only left the tribe of Juda quite alone.
19 loba nje laye uJuda engayigcinanga imilayo kaThixo. Balandela imikhuba eyayingeniswe ngabako-Israyeli.
Nay even Juda kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but they walked according to the customs of Israel which they practised, and rejected the Lord.
20 Ngakho uThixo wakhalala bonke abantu bako-Israyeli; wabahlukuluza njalo wabanikela ezandleni zabaphangi, waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe.
And the Lord was angry with the whole seed of Israel, and troubled them, and gave them into the hand of them that spoiled them, until he cast them out of his presence.
21 UThixo uthe esemkhiphile u-Israyeli endlini kaDavida, babeka uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ukuba abe yinkosi yabo. UJerobhowamu wamphambula u-Israyeli ekulandeleni uThixo wambangela ukuba enze isono esikhulu.
Forasmuch as Israel revolted from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nabat king: and Jeroboam drew off Israel from following the Lord, and led them to sin a great sin.
22 Abako-Israyeli baqhubeka ngazozonke izono zikaJerobhowamu abaze bazidela.
And the children of Israel walked in all the sin of Jeroboam which he committed; they departed not from it,
23 UThixo waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe, njengoba wayexwayisile ngezinceku zakhe zonke abaphrofethi. Ngakho abantu bako-Israyeli bathunjwa elizweni labo basiwa e-Asiriya, njalo balokhu bekhonale.
until the Lord removed Israel from his presence, as the Lord spoke by all his servants the prophets; and Israel was removed from off their land to the Assyrians until this day.
24 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yaletha abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni, leKhutha, le-Ava, leHamathi kanye leSefavayimi yayabahlalisa emizini yeSamariya endaweni eyayingeyabako-Israyeli.
And the king of Assyria brought from Babylon the men of Chutha, [and men] from Aia, and from Aemath, and Seppharvaim, and they were settled in the cities of Samaria in the place of the children of Israel: and they inherited Samaria, and were settled in its cities.
25 Ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona, babengamkhonzi uThixo; ngakho uThixo wathumela izilwane phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye babo.
And it was so at the beginning of their establishment there [that] they feared not the Lord, and the Lord sent lions among them, and they slew some of them.
26 Kwabikwa enkosini yase-Asiriya kwathiwa, “Abantu obaxotshele eSamariya wabahlalisa emizini yakhona abakwazi ukuthi unkulunkulu walelolizwe ufunani. Usethumele izilwane phakathi kwabo, ezibabulalayo zibaqeda, ngoba abantu abakwazi ukuthi ufunani.”
And they spoke to the king of the Assyrians, saying, The nations whom thou hast removed and substituted in the cities of Samaria [for the Israelites], know not the manner of the God of the land: and he has sent the lions against them, and, behold, they are slaying them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yakhupha isiqondiso yathi, “Thuma omunye wabaphristi owabathumbayo eSamariya, abuyele ayohlala labantu njalo abafundise ukuthi unkulunkulu walelolizwe ufunani.”
And the king of the Assyrians commanded, saying, Bring some [Israelites] thence, and let them go and dwell there, and they shall teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28 Ngakho omunye wabaphristi ababethunjwe eSamariya weza wayahlala eBhetheli wabafundisa ukuthi uThixo ukhonzwa njani?
And they brought one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria, and he settled in Baethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 Loba kunjalo, yileloqembu ngobuzwe balo lenza onkulunkulu balo emadolobheni wonke ababehlaliswe khona, bababeka ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezazakhiwe ngabantu beSamariya.
But the nations made each their own gods, and put them in the house of the high places which the Samaritans [had] made, each nation in the cities in which they dwelt.
30 Abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni babumba uSukhothi-Bhenothi, kwathi ababevela eKhutha benza uNerigali, ababevela eHamathi benza u-Ashima,
And the men of Babylon made Socchoth Benith, and the men of Chuth made Ergel, and the men of Haemath made Asimath.
31 ama-Avi enza uNibhazi kanye loTharithaki, lamaSefavi enza umhlatshelo ngokutshisa abantwababo emlilweni benikela ku-Adrameleki lo-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefavayimi.
And the Evites made Eblazer and Tharthac, and the [inhabitant] of Seppharvaim [did evil] when they burnt their sons in the fire to Adramelech and Anemelech, the gods of Seppharvaim.
32 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa basebezikhethela phakathi kwabo inhlobo zonke zabantu ukuthi babe ngabaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela.
And they feared the Lord, yet they established their abominations in the houses of the high places which they made in Samaria, each nation in the city in which they dwelt: and they feared the Lord, and they made for themselves priests of the high places, and sacrificed for themselves in the house of the high places.
33 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa babekhonza labonkulunkulu babo belandela imikhuba yezizwe ababevela kizo.
And they feared the Lord, and served their gods according to the manner of the nations, whence [their lords] brought them.
34 Kuze kube lamuhla balokhu bekwenza lokhu belandela imikhuba emidala. Abamkhonzi uThixo njalo abalandeli izimiso leziqondiso, imithetho lemilayo uThixo ayeyiphe abantwana bakaJakhobe, lo ambiza ngokuthi ngu-Israyeli.
Until this day they did according to their manner: they fear [the Lord], and they do according to their customs, and according to their manner, and according to the law, and according to the commandment which the Lord commanded the sons of Jacob, whose name he made Israel.
35 UThixo wathi esenza isivumelwano labako-Israyeli, wabalaya wathi, “Lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu loba ukubakhothamela, lingabenzeli lutho loba ukubenzela umhlatshelo.
And the Lord made a covenant with them, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, neither shall ye worship them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 Khonzani kuphela uThixo, yena owalikhuphula walisusa eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla somusa esivulekileyo, nguye yedwa okumele limkhonze. Kuye lizakhothama njalo kuye lizanikela imihlatshelo.
but only to the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great strength and with a high arm: him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship; to him shall ye sacrifice.
37 Linanzelele ngezikhathi zonke ukulondoloza izimiso, leziqondiso, imithetho lemilayo alilobela yona. Lingabokhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
Ye shall observe continually the ordinances, and the judgments, and the law, and the commandments which he wrote for you to do; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 Lingakhohlwa isivumelwano engasenza lani, njalo lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu.
Neither shall ye forget the covenant which he made with you: and ye shall not fear other gods.
39 Kodwa, khonzani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, nguye ozalikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu zonke.”
But ye shall fear the Lord your God, and he shall deliver you from all your enemies.
40 Loba kunjalo, kabazange balalele kodwa baqhubeka belandela imikhuba yabo yakuqala.
Neither shall ye comply with their practice, which they follow.
41 Lanxa babemkhonza uThixo, babelandela izithombe zabo. Lalamuhla abantwababo labantwana babantwababo balokhu besenza khonokho okwakusenziwa ngoyise.
So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images: yea, their sons and their son's sons do until this day even as their fathers did.
