2 Kings 17
1 Hoshea, son of Elah, became king of Israel, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for nine years.
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokubusa kuka-Ahazi inkosi yakoJuda, uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya, njalo wabusa iminyaka eyisificamunwemunye.
2 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not in the same way the kings of Israel who were before him.
Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo, kodwa akubanga njengokwamakhosi ako-Israyeli amandulelayo.
3 Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came and attacked him, and Hoshea submitted to him and paid him tribute.
UShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya weza wahlasela uHosheya, owayekade eyisichaka sakhe esasithela kuye.
4 But then the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was being disloyal. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, asking for help, and he also had stopped sending annual tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done previously. So the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
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.
5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole country, and attacked Samaria, besieging it for three years.
Inkosi yase-Asiriya yasihlasela ilizwe lonke, yangena eSamariya yalivimbezela okweminyaka emithathu.
6 In the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the towns of the Medes.
Ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumba iSamariya yaxotshela abako-Israyeli e-Asiriya. Yabahlalisa eHala, ngaseGozani eMfuleni uHabhori lasemizini yamaMede.
7 All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, the one who had led them out of Egypt, saving them from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods,
Konke lokhu kwenzakala ngenxa yokona kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaThixo, owabakhupha eGibhithe emandleni kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu
8 adopting the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites, and the pagan practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
belandela lemikhuba yezizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo kanye lemikhuba amakhosi ako-Israyeli ayeseyingenisile.
9 Secretly the Israelites did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified cities.
Basebesenza ngasese izinto ezazingalunganga kuThixo. Kusukela emphongolweni wesilindo kusiya enqabeni yomuzi basebezakhele izindawo zokukhonzela emizini yabo.
10 They set up pagan stone pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
Bazimisela amatshe okukhonzela lezinsika zika-Ashera kuwo wonke amaqaqa aphakemeyo langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.
11 They offered sacrifices on all the high places, just like the nations the Lord drove out before them. They did evil things, angering the Lord.
Kuzozonke izindawo zokukhonzela batshisa impepha, njengalokhu okwakusenziwa yizizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo. Benza okubi okwathukuthelisa uThixo.
12 They worshiped idols, even though the Lord had told them, “You are not to do this.”
Bakhonza izithombe, lanxa uThixo wayethe, “Lingabokwenza lokhu.”
13 Yet the Lord had warned Israel and Judah repeatedly through all his prophets and seers, saying, “Leave your wicked ways and keep my commandments and instructions. Follow the whole law that I ordered your forefathers to obey, and gave to you through my servants the prophets.”
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.”
14 But they refused listen, and they were as stubborn as their forefathers who did not trust the Lord their God.
Kodwa abalalelanga njalo baba ntamolukhuni njengabokhokho babo, bona abangazange bathembele kuThixo wabo.
15 They gave up on his regulations and the covenant he had made with their forefathers, as well as the decrees he had given them. They followed pointless idols and they became pointless themselves, copying the nations around them that the Lord ordered them not to copy.
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.
16 They ignored all the commandments of the Lord their God, and they made themselves two metal idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down in worship to the sun, moon, and stars and served Baal.
Bayephula yonke imilayo kaThixo wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezikhandiweyo ezamathole amabili, benza insika ku-Ashera. Bakhothamela zonke izinkanyezi zezulu, njalo bakhonza uBhali.
17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters as pagan burnt offerings, and practiced fortune-telling and witchcraft. They gave themselves over to doing what was evil in the Lord's sight, making him angry.
Benza umhlatshelo ngamadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni. Babevumisa njalo besenza ubuthakathi, bazinikela ekwenzeni okubi phambi kukaThixo bamthukuthelisa.
18 So the Lord was extremely angry with Israel, and he banished them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,
Ngakho uThixo wabathukuthelela abako-Israyeli wabaxotsha kuye. Isizwana sakoJuda yiso kuphela esasalayo,
19 but even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but followed the idolatry that Israel had introduced.
loba nje laye uJuda engayigcinanga imilayo kaThixo. Balandela imikhuba eyayingeniswe ngabako-Israyeli.
20 The Lord gave up on all the descendants of Israel. He punished them and handed them over to their enemies, until he had banished them from his presence.
Ngakho uThixo wakhalala bonke abantu bako-Israyeli; wabahlukuluza njalo wabanikela ezandleni zabaphangi, waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe.
21 When the Lord ripped Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from the Lord and made them commit terrible sins.
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.
22 The Israelites continued to practice all the sins that Jeroboam committed. They did not stop doing them,
Abako-Israyeli baqhubeka ngazozonke izono zikaJerobhowamu abaze bazidela.
23 so the Lord eventually expelled them from his presence, just as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the Israelites were deported from their land and taken to Assyria, where they are to this day.
UThixo waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe, njengoba wayexwayisile ngezinceku zakhe zonke abaphrofethi. Ngakho abantu bako-Israyeli bathunjwa elizweni labo basiwa e-Asiriya, njalo balokhu bekhonale.
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took over ownership of Samaria and lived in its towns.
Inkosi yase-Asiriya yaletha abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni, leKhutha, le-Ava, leHamathi kanye leSefavayimi yayabahlalisa emizini yeSamariya endaweni eyayingeyabako-Israyeli.
25 When they first started living there they did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions there among them, killing some of them.
Ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona, babengamkhonzi uThixo; ngakho uThixo wathumela izilwane phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye babo.
26 The king of Assyria was told, “The peoples that you brought and settled in the towns of Samaria they don't not know the rules of the God of the land. As a result, he has sent lions among them, which are killing them off because they don't know what the God of the land requires.”
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.”
27 The king of Assyria gave the order: “Send back one of the priests you deported from Samaria, and let him go back and live there and teach the rules of the God of the land.”
Inkosi yase-Asiriya yakhupha isiqondiso yathi, “Thuma omunye wabaphristi owabathumbayo eSamariya, abuyele ayohlala labantu njalo abafundise ukuthi unkulunkulu walelolizwe ufunani.”
28 So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned to live in Bethel, and taught them how to worship the Lord.
Ngakho omunye wabaphristi ababethunjwe eSamariya weza wayahlala eBhetheli wabafundisa ukuthi uThixo ukhonzwa njani?
29 But the people of the different nations went on making their own gods in the towns where they had settled, and they placed them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.
Loba kunjalo, yileloqembu ngobuzwe balo lenza onkulunkulu balo emadolobheni wonke ababehlaliswe khona, bababeka ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezazakhiwe ngabantu beSamariya.
30 Those from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima.
Abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni babumba uSukhothi-Bhenothi, kwathi ababevela eKhutha benza uNerigali, ababevela eHamathi benza u-Ashima,
31 The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
ama-Avi enza uNibhazi kanye loTharithaki, lamaSefavi enza umhlatshelo ngokutshisa abantwababo emlilweni benikela ku-Adrameleki lo-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefavayimi.
32 While they worshiped the Lord, they also appointed priests from all kinds of their own people to offer sacrifices for them in the shrines of the high places.
Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa basebezikhethela phakathi kwabo inhlobo zonke zabantu ukuthi babe ngabaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela.
33 So even though they worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their own gods following the practices of the nations they had come from.
Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa babekhonza labonkulunkulu babo belandela imikhuba yezizwe ababevela kizo.
34 Even to this day they are still following their former practices. None of them truly worship the Lord or observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments that the Lord gave to the descendants of Jacob, the one he named Israel.
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.
35 For the Lord had made an agreement with the Israelites, ordering them, “Don't worship other gods or bow down to them; don't serve them or offer sacrifices to them.
UThixo wathi esenza isivumelwano labako-Israyeli, wabalaya wathi, “Lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu loba ukubakhothamela, lingabenzeli lutho loba ukubenzela umhlatshelo.
36 You must worship only the Lord, who led you out of Egypt, helping you with his great power and strong arm. Only bow down to him; only offer sacrifices to him.
Khonzani kuphela uThixo, yena owalikhuphula walisusa eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla somusa esivulekileyo, nguye yedwa okumele limkhonze. Kuye lizakhothama njalo kuye lizanikela imihlatshelo.
37 Always pay attention to observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments he gave you in writing, and don't worship other gods.
Linanzelele ngezikhathi zonke ukulondoloza izimiso, leziqondiso, imithetho lemilayo alilobela yona. Lingabokhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
38 Don't forget the agreement I have made with you, and don't worship other gods.
Lingakhohlwa isivumelwano engasenza lani, njalo lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu.
39 You must worship only the Lord your God, and he will save you from all your enemies.”
Kodwa, khonzani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, nguye ozalikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu zonke.”
40 But they refused to listen, and continued their former idolatrous practices.
Loba kunjalo, kabazange balalele kodwa baqhubeka belandela imikhuba yabo yakuqala.
41 Even while these people from different nations were worshiping the Lord, they were actually worshiping their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue to do as their forefathers did to this day.
Lanxa babemkhonza uThixo, babelandela izithombe zabo. Lalamuhla abantwababo labantwana babantwababo balokhu besenza khonokho okwakusenziwa ngoyise.
