2 AMakhosi 17

17 ¹Ngonyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda, uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli eSamariya, wabusa iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye. ²Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, kodwa hhayi njengamakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayengaphambi kwakhe. ³UShalmaneseri inkosi yakwa-Asiriya wenyuka wamhlasela, uHosheya waba yisikhonzi sakhe, wamkhokhela intela. ⁴Kodwa inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yathola ukuthi uHosheya wayakha icebo lokukhaphela: wayethumele izithunywa kuSo inkosi yaseGibhithe, wayeka ukukhokhela inkosi yakwa-Asiriya umthelo waminyaka yonke. Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yambamba yambopha etilongweni. ⁵Inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yahlasela izwe lonke, yenyukela eSamariya, yalivimbezela iminyaka emithathu.

ISamariya Liwela Kwa-Asiriya

⁶Ngonyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yathatha iSamariya, yathumbela u-Israyeli kwa-Asiriya, yabahlalisa eHala, ngaseHabori, umfula waseGozani, nasemizini yamaMediya.

⁷Konke lokhu kwenzeka ngokuba u-Israyeli wona kuBaba wethu, owabakhuphula eGibhithe, ngaphansi kwesandla sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, ⁸balandela amasiko ezizwe uBaba wethu azixosha phambi kwabo, nalawo amakhosi akwa-Israyeli awethula. ⁹U-Israyeli wenza okungalungile ngasese kuBaba wethu, wakha izindawo eziphakeme kuyo yonke imizi yabo, kusukela embhoshongweni wokulinda kuze kufike emzini obiyelwe. ¹⁰Bamisa izinsika ezingcwele nezinsika zika-Ashera phezu kwawo wonke amagquma aphakeme naphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza. ¹¹Kuzo zonke izindawo eziphakeme bashisa impepho, njengezizwe uBaba wethu azixosha phambi kwabo. Benza okubi okwamthukuthelisa uBaba wethu.

¹²Bakhonza izithombe, nakuba uBaba wethu wayebatshelile wathi: “Akumele nenze lokhu.” ¹³UBaba wethu waxwayisa u-Israyeli noJuda ngawo wonke umprofethi nomboni, wathi: “Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi nigcine imiyalo nezimiso zami—wonke umthetho engawunika okhokho benu nganithumela wona ngezinceku zami abaprofethi.”

¹⁴Kodwa abavumanga ukulalela. Baqinisa izintamo zabo njengokhokho babo, abangamethembanga uBaba wethu. ¹⁵Balahla izimiso zakhe, nesivumelwano asenza nokhokho babo, nezixwayiso zakhe. Balandela izithombe eziyize, baba yize, belingisa izizwe ezazibazungezile, uBaba wethu abebenqabele ukuba bazilingise. ¹⁶Bashiya yonke imiyalo kaBaba wethu, bazenzela izithombe ezimbili zamathole abunjwe ngokuncibilikisa nensika ka-Ashera, bakhothamela lonke ibandla lezinkanyezi zezulu, bakhonza uBhali. ¹⁷Bashisa amadodana namadodakazi abo njengemihlatshelo, benza ukubhula nobuthakathi, bazithengisa ukuba benze okubi phambi kukaBaba wethu, bevusa ulaka lwakhe. ¹⁸Ngakho uBaba wethu, ethukuthelele u-Israyeli kakhulu, wabasusa ebusweni bakhe. Kwasala isizwe sakwaJuda sodwa, ¹⁹NoJuda imbala awuzigcinanga imiyalo kaBaba wethu, kodwa walandela izenzo zakwa-Israyeli. ²⁰Ngakho uBaba wethu wayilahla yonke inzalo yakwa-Israyeli, wabehlisela usizi, wabanikela ezandleni zabaphangi waze wabalahla ebusweni bakhe. ²¹Lapho uBaba wethu enqamula u-Israyeli endlini kaDavide, babeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati waba yinkosi yabo. UJerobowamu wasusa u-Israyeli ekulandeleni uBaba wethu, wabaholela esonweni esikhulu. ²²U-Israyeli waphikelela kuzo zonke izono uJerobowamu azenza; abaphendukanga kuzo, ²³waze uBaba wethu wamsusa u-Israyeli ebusweni bakhe, njengoba ayeshilo ngazo zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi. Ngakho u-Israyeli wathunjwa, wasuswa ezweni lakhe, wayiswa kwa-Asiriya, ehlala khona kuze kube namuhla.

Abafokazi Bahlala Ezweni

²⁴Inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yaletha abantu bevela eBhabhiloni, naseKhutha, nase-Ava, naseHamati, naseSefarivayimi, yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya esikhundleni sakwa-Israyeli. Bathatha iSamariya, bahlala emizini yalo. ²⁵Ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo lapho, abamkhonzanga uBaba wethu; ngakho wathumela amabhubesi phakathi kwabo, abulala abanye babo. ²⁶Batshela inkosi yakwa-Asiriya, bathi: “Izizwe owazithumbela emizini yaseSamariya azikwazi okufunwa unkulunkulu wezwe. Ngakho uthumele amabhubesi phakathi kwazo, ayazibulala, ngokuba azikwazi okufunwa unkulunkulu wezwe.”

²⁷Inkosi yakwa-Asiriya yakhipha umyalo, yathi: “Buyiselani umpristi oyedwa enamthumba eSamariya. Makahlale khona, afundise abantu okufunwa unkulunkulu wezwe.”

²⁸Ngakho omunye wabapristi abathunjwa eSamariya wahlala eBhetheli, wabafundisa indlela yokukhonza uBaba wethu.

²⁹Kodwa isizwe ngasinye sazenzela onkulunkulu baso, sabamisa ezindlini zokukhonzela zezindawo eziphakeme amaSamariya ayezakhile, isizwe ngasinye emizini esasihlala kuyo. ³⁰Abantu baseBhabhiloni benza uSukothi-Benothi, abaseKhutha benza uNerigali, abaseHamati benza u-Ashima, ³¹ama-Ava enza uNibihazi noTarithaki, amaSefarivayimi ashisa abantwana bawo emlilweni njengemihlatshelo ku-Adiramaleki naku-Anamaleki, onkulunkulu baseSefarivayimi. ³²Bakhonza uBaba wethu kodwa bazimisela phakathi kwabo zonke izinhlobo zabapristi bezindawo eziphakeme, ababenzela imihlatshelo ezindlini zokukhonzela. ³³Bakhonza uBaba wethu, kodwa bakhonza onkulunkulu babo ngokwamasiko ezizwe ababethunjwe kuzo. ³⁴Kuze kube namuhla bagcina amasiko abo asekuqaleni. Abamkhonzi uBaba wethu, abalandeli izimiso, nemithetho, nomthetho, nomyalo uBaba wethu awunika abantwana bakaJakobe, amqamba igama lokuthi u-Israyeli.

³⁵Lapho uBaba wethu enza isivumelwano nabo, wabayala, wathi: “Ningakhonzi, ningakhothameli, ningasebenzeli, ningahlabeli abanye onkulunkulu. ³⁶Kodwa uBaba wenu owanikhipha eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu nangengalo eyeluliwe—khonzani yena. Khothamelani kuye, nimhlabele imihlatshelo. ³⁷Niqaphele njalo ukugcina izimiso, nemithetho, nomthetho, nomyalo aniwalobela. Ningakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu. ³⁸Ningasikhohlwa isivumelwano engasenza nani, ningakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu. ³⁹Kodwa khonzani uBaba wenu, yena uyakunikhulula esandleni sazo zonke izitha zenu.”

⁴⁰Nokho abavumanga ukulalela, kodwa baphikelela emasikweni abo asekuqaleni. ⁴¹Lezi zizwe zakhonza uBaba wethu kodwa zakhonza izithombe zazo. Abantwana bazo nabazukulu bazo benza njengoba okhokho babo benza, kuze kube namuhla.