2 Kings - Chapter 17

Verse 1: Ngomnyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi eSamariya kwa-Israyeli, wabusa iminyaka eyisihiyagalolunye.

Verse 2: Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nokho kungenjengamakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayephambi kwakhe.

Verse 3: Kwenyuka ukulwa naye uShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya; uHosheya waba yisikhonzi sakhe, wathela intela kuye.

Verse 4: Inkosi yase-Asiriya yafumana ugobe kuHosheya, ngokuba wayethume izithunywa kuSo inkosi yaseGibithe, engasenyusi ntela enkosini yase-Asiriya njengokwenza kwakhe imihla ngemihla; ngalokho inkosi yase-Asiriya yamvalela, yambopha etilongweni.

Verse 5: Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisenyuka, yadabula izwe lonke, yenyukela eSamariya, yalivimbezela iminyaka emithathu.

Verse 6: Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yalithatha iSamariya, yathumbela u-Israyeli e-Asiriya, yababeka eHala, naseHabori ngasemfuleni waseGozani, nasemizini yamaMede.

Verse 7: Kwaba njalo, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, besaba abanye onkulunkulu,

Verse 8: bahamba ngezimiso zabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nezamakhosi akwa-Israyeli azenzileyo.

Verse 9: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza ngasese izinto ezingalungile kuJehova uNkulunkulu, bazakhela izindawo eziphakemeyo emizini yabo yonke ngasemibhoshongweni yabalindi nasemizini ebiyelweyo.

Verse 10: Bazimisela izinsika nawo-Ashera emagqumeni onke aphakemeyo naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza,

Verse 11: bashisa khona impepho ezindaweni zonke eziphakemeyo njengokwenza kwabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabo, benza izinto ezimbi ukumcunula uJehova,

Verse 12: bakhonza izithombe uJehova ashilo ngazo kubo ukuthi: “Aniyikwenza le nto.”

Verse 13: Nokho uJehova wayexwayisile o-Israyeli noJuda ngesandla sabo bonke abaprofethi nababoni ukuthi: “Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi, nigcine imiyalo yami nezimiso zami njengawo wonke umthetho engayala ngawo oyihlo nengawuthuma kini ngesandla sezinceku zami abaprofethi.”

Verse 14: Kepha abalalelanga; benza lukhuni intamo yabo njengentamo yawoyise abangakholwanga nguJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.

Verse 15: Badelela izimiso zakhe, nesivumelwano sakhe asenzayo nawoyise, nezixwayiso abaxwayisa ngazo, balandela okuyize, benza okuyize, balandela abezizwe ababebazungeza, uJehova abayale ngabo ukuthi abayikwenza njengabo.

Verse 16: Bashiya yonke imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezibunjiweyo, amathole amabili, benza no-Ashera, bakhuleka kulo lonke ibandla lasezulwini, bakhonza uBali.

Verse 17: Badabulisa amadodana abo namadodakazi abo emlilweni, babhula, benza imilingo, bazithengisela ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova ukumcunula.

Verse 18: Ngalokho uJehova wathukuthelela u-Israyeli, wabasusa ebusweni bakhe; akusalanga muntu, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.

Verse 19: Naye uJuda akagcinanga imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, kepha wahamba ngezimiso zakwa-Israyeli azenzileyo.

Verse 20: UJehova wala yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli, wayihlupha, wayinikela esandleni sabaphangi, waze wayilahla ebusweni bakhe.

Verse 21: Ngokuba wahlwitha u-Israyeli endlini kaDavide; bambeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati inkosi; uJerobowamu wamqubula u-Israyeli ukuba angamlandeli uJehova, wamonisa ngesono esikhulu.

Verse 22: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba ezonweni zonke zikaJerobowamu azenzayo, abasukanga kuzo,

Verse 23: uJehova waze wamsusa u-Israyeli ebusweni bakhe njengokukhuluma kwakhe ngesandla sazo zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi. Wayesethunjwa u-Israyeli ezweni lakubo, wayiswa e-Asiriya kuze kube namuhla.

Verse 24: Inkosi yase-Asiriya yalanda abantu eBabele, naseKhutha, nase-Ava, naseHamati, naseSefarivayimi, yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya esikhundleni sabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; badla iSamariya, bahlala emizini yalo.

Verse 25: Kwathi ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona abamesabanga uJehova; ngalokho uJehova wathuma izingonyama phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye kubo.

Verse 26: Base bekhuluma enkosini yase-Asiriya, bethi: “Abezizwe obasusileyo wabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe; ngalokho uthumile izingonyama phakathi kwabo; bheka, ziyababulala, ngokuba abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.”

Verse 27: Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisiyala ngokuthi: “Yisani khona omunye wabapristi enibathumbile lapho, ahambe ahlale khona, abafundise umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.”

Verse 28: Wayesefika omunye wabapristi ababebathumbile eSamariya, wahlala eBethele, wabafundisa ukumesaba uJehova.

Verse 29: Kodwa zonke izizwe zazenzela onkulunkulu bazo, zababeka ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazenziwe ngamaSamariya, kwaba yileso naleso sizwe emizini esasihlezi kuyo.

Verse 30: Abantu baseBabele benza uSukoti Benoti, abantu baseKhuti benza uNerigali, abantu baseHamati benza u-Ashima,

Verse 31: ama-Avi enza oNibihazi noTharithaki, amaSefarivayimi ashisa abantwana bawo ngomlilo ko-Adirameleki no-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefarivayimi.

Verse 32: Kepha babemkhonza noJehova, bazenzela phakathi kwabo abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ababahlabela ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo.

Verse 33: Bamesaba uJehova, bakhonza nawonkulunkulu babo njengomthetho wezizwe ababesuswe phakathi kwazo.

Verse 34: Kuze kube namuhla benza njengemithetho yakuqala: abamesabi uJehova, abenzi njengezimiso, nezimemezelo zabo, nomthetho wabo, nemiyalo yabo uJehova ayala ngayo abantwana bakwaJakobe amutha u-Israyeli,

Verse 35: uJehova enza nabo isivumelwano, wabayala wathi: “Aniyikwesaba abanye onkulunkulu, ningakhothameli kubo, ningabakhonzi, ningabahlabeli;

Verse 36: kepha uJehova owanikhuphula ezweni laseGibithe ngamandla amakhulu nangengalo eyeluliweyo yena niyakumesaba, kuyena niyakukhothamela, nimhlabele yena;

Verse 37: izimiso nezimemezelo nomthetho nemiyalo anilobela khona yikho eniyakukugcina ukuba nikwenze; ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu;

Verse 38: aniyikukhohlwa isivumelwano engisenzile nani, ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu;

Verse 39: kepha niyakwesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; yena uyakunophula esandleni sazo zonke izitha zenu.”

Verse 40: Nokho abalalelanga, kodwa benza njengemithetho yabo yakuqala.

Verse 41: Zesaba-ke lezo zizwe uJehova, kepha zakhonza izithombe zazo ezibaziweyo, kanjalo nabantwana bazo nabantwana babantwana bazo; njengalokho benzile oyise, benze njalo nabo kuze kube namuhla.