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 Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel for nine years.
2 Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo, kodwa akubanga njengokwamakhosi ako-Israyeli amandulelayo.
He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 UShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya weza wahlasela uHosheya, owayekade eyisichaka sakhe esasithela kuye.
Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his servant, and brought 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.
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.
5 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yasihlasela ilizwe lonke, yangena eSamariya yalivimbezela okweminyaka emithathu.
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it 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 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.
7 Konke lokhu kwenzakala ngenxa yokona kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaThixo, owabakhupha eGibhithe emandleni kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu
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,
8 belandela lemikhuba yezizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo kanye lemikhuba amakhosi ako-Israyeli ayeseyingenisile.
and walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
9 Basebesenza ngasese izinto ezazingalunganga kuThixo. Kusukela emphongolweni wesilindo kusiya enqabeni yomuzi basebezakhele izindawo zokukhonzela emizini yabo.
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;
10 Bazimisela amatshe okukhonzela lezinsika zika-Ashera kuwo wonke amaqaqa aphakemeyo langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.
and they set up for themselves pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
11 Kuzozonke izindawo zokukhonzela batshisa impepha, njengalokhu okwakusenziwa yizizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo. Benza okubi okwathukuthelisa uThixo.
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;
12 Bakhonza izithombe, lanxa uThixo wayethe, “Lingabokwenza lokhu.”
and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”
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.”
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.”
14 Kodwa abalalelanga njalo baba ntamolukhuni njengabokhokho babo, bona abangazange bathembele kuThixo wabo.
Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck like the neck of their fathers who didn’t believe in the LORD their God.
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.
They rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them.
16 Bayephula yonke imilayo kaThixo wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezikhandiweyo ezamathole amabili, benza insika ku-Ashera. Bakhothamela zonke izinkanyezi zezulu, njalo bakhonza uBhali.
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.
17 Benza umhlatshelo ngamadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni. Babevumisa njalo besenza ubuthakathi, bazinikela ekwenzeni okubi phambi kukaThixo bamthukuthelisa.
They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
18 Ngakho uThixo wabathukuthelela abako-Israyeli wabaxotsha kuye. Isizwana sakoJuda yiso kuphela esasalayo,
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
19 loba nje laye uJuda engayigcinanga imilayo kaThixo. Balandela imikhuba eyayingeniswe ngabako-Israyeli.
Also Judah didn’t keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
20 Ngakho uThixo wakhalala bonke abantu bako-Israyeli; wabahlukuluza njalo wabanikela ezandleni zabaphangi, waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe.
The LORD rejected all the offspring of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hands of raiders, until he had cast them out of his sight.
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.
For he tore Israel from David’s house; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
22 Abako-Israyeli baqhubeka ngazozonke izono zikaJerobhowamu abaze bazidela.
The children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they didn’t depart from them
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 out of his sight, as he said by all his servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria to this day.
24 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yaletha abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni, leKhutha, le-Ava, leHamathi kanye leSefavayimi yayabahlalisa emizini yeSamariya endaweni eyayingeyabako-Israyeli.
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, from Cuthah, from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities.
25 Ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona, babengamkhonzi uThixo; ngakho uThixo wathumela izilwane phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye babo.
So it was, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they didn’t fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions amongst them, which killed 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.”
Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations which you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria don’t know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions amongst them; and behold, they kill them, because they don’t know the law 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.”
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Carry there one of the priests whom you brought from there; and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach them the law of the god of the land.”
28 Ngakho omunye wabaphristi ababethunjwe eSamariya weza wayahlala eBhetheli wabafundisa ukuthi uThixo ukhonzwa njani?
So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, 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.
However every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived.
30 Abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni babumba uSukhothi-Bhenothi, kwathi ababevela eKhutha benza uNerigali, ababevela eHamathi benza u-Ashima,
The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 ama-Avi enza uNibhazi kanye loTharithaki, lamaSefavi enza umhlatshelo ngokutshisa abantwababo emlilweni benikela ku-Adrameleki lo-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefavayimi.
and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa basebezikhethela phakathi kwabo inhlobo zonke zabantu ukuthi babe ngabaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela.
So they feared the LORD, and also made from amongst themselves priests of the high places for themselves, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa babekhonza labonkulunkulu babo belandela imikhuba yezizwe ababevela kizo.
They feared the LORD, and also served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from amongst whom they had been carried away.
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.
To this day they do what they did before. They don’t fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes, or the ordinances, or the law, or the commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35 UThixo wathi esenza isivumelwano labako-Israyeli, wabalaya wathi, “Lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu loba ukubakhothamela, lingabenzeli lutho loba ukubenzela umhlatshelo.
with whom the LORD had made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to 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 you shall fear the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, and you shall bow yourselves to him, and you shall sacrifice to him.
37 Linanzelele ngezikhathi zonke ukulondoloza izimiso, leziqondiso, imithetho lemilayo alilobela yona. Lingabokhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods.
38 Lingakhohlwa isivumelwano engasenza lani, njalo lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu.
You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods.
39 Kodwa, khonzani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, nguye ozalikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu zonke.”
But you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”
40 Loba kunjalo, kabazange balalele kodwa baqhubeka belandela imikhuba yabo yakuqala.
However they didn’t listen, but they did what they did before.
41 Lanxa babemkhonza uThixo, babelandela izithombe zabo. Lalamuhla abantwababo labantwana babantwababo balokhu besenza khonokho okwakusenziwa ngoyise.
So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their engraved images. Their children did likewise, and so did their children’s children. They do as their fathers did to this day.
