2 Kings 17
1 Elah’s son Hoshea began to rule Israel after King Ahaz had ruled Judah for twelve years. Hoshea ruled in Samaria for nine years.
Katika mwaka wa kumi na moja wa Ahazi mfalme Yuda, utawala wa Hoshea mwana wa Elahi ulianza. Alitawala katika Samaria juu ya Israeli kwa muda wa miaka minane.
2 He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, but he did not do as many evil things as the previous kings of Israel had done.
Alifanya yaliyo maovu usoni pa Yahwe, ila sio kama waflme wa Israeli ambao ulikuwa kabla yake.
3 [The army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked and defeated [the army of] King Hoshea. As a result, the Israelis were forced to pay a lot of tribute/taxes to Assyria each year.
Shalmanesa mfalme wa Ashuru akamshambulia, na Hoshea akawa mtumishi na kumletea kodi.
4 But several years later, Hoshea secretly planned to rebel against the rulers of Assyria. He sent messengers to So/Osorkon, the king of Egypt, [asking if his army could help the Israelis fight against the army of Assyria]. Hoshea also stopped paying the tribute/taxes that he had been paying to Assyria every year. But the king of Assyria found out about those things, so he told his officers to put Hoshea in prison.
Kisha mfalme wa Ashuru akaona kwamba Hoshea alikuwa na njama dhidi ya yake, kwa kuwa Hoshea aliwatuma wajumbe kwa So mfalme wa Misri; pia, hakumpatia kodi mfalme wa Ashuru, kama alivyofanya mwaka hadi mwaka.
5 Then he [brought the army of] Assyria to Israel, and they attacked everywhere in that land. His army surrounded Samaria [city] for three years.
Basi mfalme wa Ashuru akamfunga akamtia kifungoni. Kisha mfalme wa Ashuru akaishambulia nchi yote, akaishambulia Samaria na kuizunguka kwa miaka mitatu.
6 Finally, after King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for nine years, the army of Assyria [MTY] [forcefully entered] the city [and] captured [the people]. They took the Israeli people to Assyria and forced some of them to live in Halah [town]. They forced others to live near the Habor River in Gozan district. They forced others to live in the towns where the Mede people-group lived.
Katika mwaka wa tisa wa Hoshea, mfalme wa Ashuru akaichukua Samaria na akawapeleka Israeli hadi Ashuru. Akawaweka kwenye Hala, kwenye Habori Mto wa Gozani, na katika mji wa Wamedi.
7 Those things happened because the Israeli people had sinned against Yahweh their God. He had rescued their [ancestors] from the power [MTY] of the king of Egypt and brought them [safely] out of Egypt, but later they began to worship other gods.
Utekwaji huu ulitokea kwa sababu wana wa Israeli walifanya dhambi dhidi ya Yahwe Mungu wao, ambaye aliwaleta kutoka nchi ya Misri, kutoka chini ya mkono wa Farao mfalme wa Misri. Watu walikuwa wakiabudu miungu mingine
8 They imitated the things that the heathen/pagan people-groups did. Those were the groups that Yahweh had expelled as the Israelis occupied their land. The Israeli people also did the evil things that the kings of Israel (introduced/showed to them).
na kutembea katika matendo ya wamataifa ambao Yahwe aliwafukuza mbele ya watu wa Israeli, na katika matendo ya wafalme wa Israeli ambayo waliyokuwa wameyafanya.
9 The Israeli people also secretly did many things that were not pleasing to Yahweh their God. They built shrines [to worship idols] in all their cities, including small towns and big cities with walls around them.
Wana wa Israeli wakafanya kwa siri mambo mabaya dhidi ya Yahwe Mungu wao. Wakajijengea mahala pa juu katika miji yao yote, kutoka mnara wa walinzi hadi mji wenye boma.
10 They set up stone pillars [to honor gods], and poles [to worship the goddess] Asherah at the top of every high hill and under every [big] tree.
Pia wakasimamisha nguzo za mawe na Ashera juu ya kila mlima chini ya kila mti mbichi.
11 The Israelis burned incense in every place where they worshiped those gods, just like the people-groups who lived there previously had done—the groups that Yahweh had expelled from the land. The Israelis did many wicked things that caused Yahweh to become angry.
Huko wakafukiza ubani katika mahali pa juu pote, kama mataifa walivyokuwa wamefanya, ambao Yahwe aliwafukuza mbele yao. Waisraeli wakafanya mambo maovu ili kuchochea hasira ya Yahwe,
12 Yahweh warned them many times that they should not worship idols, but they did it anyway.
wakaabudu sanamu, ambazo Yahwe alizokuwa amewaambia, “Msifanye jambo hili.”
13 Yahweh frequently sent his prophets and (seers/those who saw visions from Yahweh) to warn the people of Israel and the people of Judah. The message that Yahweh gave them was, “Turn away from all your evil behavior. Obey my commands and my laws, the laws that I told your ancestors [to obey] and which I told the prophets who served me to tell to you [again].”
Bado Yahwe aliwashuhudia Israeli na Yuda kwa kila nabii na kila muonaji, kusema, “Geukeni kutoka nija zenu mbaya na kuzishika amri zangu na hukumu zangu, na kuwa makini kufuata ile sheria yote niliyowaamuru baba zenu, na ambayo niliwapelekea kwa watumishi wangu manabii.”
14 But the Israeli people would not pay attention. They were stubborn [IDM] just like their ancestors were. Just like their ancestors did, they refused to believe in Yahweh their God.
Lakini hawakuweza kusikia; badala yake walikuwa wakaidi kama baba zao ambao hawakumwamini Yahwe Mungu wao.
15 They rejected Yahweh’s laws and the agreement that he had made with their ancestors. They ignored Yahweh’s warnings. They worshiped worthless idols and as a result they themselves became worthless. Although Yahweh had commanded them not to imitate the evil behavior of the people-groups that lived near them, they disobeyed that command.
Walizikataa sheria zake na lile agano ambalo alilifanya pamoja na babu zao, na hilo agano wakakubaliana wapewe. Wakafuata mambo yao yasiyofaa na wakawa hawafai. Wakawafuata mataifa ya kipagani ambao waliwazunguka, ambao Yahwe alikuwa amewaamuru wasiige.
16 The Israeli people disobeyed all of Yahweh’s commands. They made two metal calves [to worship]. They set up two poles [to worship the goddess] Asherah, and they worshiped [the god] Baal, and the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Wakazipuuza amri zote za Yahwe Mungu wao. Wakatengeneza sanamu za kusubu za ndama wawili kuziabudu. Wakatengeza nguzo ya Ashera, na wakaziabudu nyota zote za mbinguni na Baali.
17 They also burned their own sons and daughters to be sacrifices [to those gods]. They went to fortune-tellers and they practiced sorcery. They continually chose [MET] to do [all kinds of] evil things that caused Yahweh to become angry.
Wakawatupia watoto wao wakike kwa wakiume kwenye moto, wakapiga ramli na uchawi, wakajiuza wenyewe kufanya yale ambayo yalikuwa maovu usoni pa Yahwe, na kuichochea hasira yake.
18 So, because Yahweh was very angry with the Israeli people, he allowed [their enemies] to take them away [from their country]. Only the people of the tribe of Judah were left [in the land].
Kwa hiyo Yahwe alikuwa na hasira na Israeli na kuwaondoa usoni mwake. Hakubakia mtu hata mmoja isipokuwa kabila la Yuda peke yake.
19 But even the people of Judah did not obey the commands of Yahweh their God. They imitated the evil customs that the Israelis had introduced.
Hata watu wa Yuda hawakushika amri za Yahwe Mungu wao, lakini badala yake walifuata mambo hayo hayo ya kipagani ambayo Israeli walifuata.
20 So Yahweh rejected all the people of Israel and of Judah. He punished them by allowing the armies of other nations to defeat them [and take them away]. He got rid of all of them.
Hivyo Yahwe akawakataa vizazi vyote vya Israeli; akawatesa na kuwatia kwenye mkono wa wale wenye kuwateka nyara, hadi atakapokuwa amewatupa usoni mwake.
21 Earlier, when Yahweh allowed the people of Israel to separate/break away from the area [MTY] that King David [had estabished], they chose Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, to be their king. Then Jeroboam enticed the people of Israel to stop worshiping Yahweh [and to worship idols instead]. He led them to commit great sins.
Akawatoa Israeli kutoka kwenye mstari wa kifalme wa Daudi, na wakamfanya Yeroboamu mwana wa Nabeti mfalme. Yeroboamu akawapeleka Israeli mbali kutoka kumfuata Yahwe na kuwafanya wafanye dhambi kubwa.
22 And the Israeli people continued to do the evil things that Jeroboam introduced. They did not turn away from those sins,
Wana wa Israeli wakafuata dhambi zote za Yeroboamu na hawakujiepusha nazo,
23 until finally Yahweh got rid of them. That was just what his prophets had warned would happen. The Israeli people were taken away to the land of Assyria, and they still remain there.
basi Yahwe akawaondoa Israeli kutoka usoni pake, kama alivyokuwa amesema kupitia watumishi wake wote manabii kwamba angeweza kufanya. Hivyo Israeli walichukuliwa kutoka nchi yao kwenda Ashuru, na iko hivyo hata leo.
24 The king of Assyria [ordered his soldiers to] take [groups of] people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim [cities] to [the] Samaria [region], and to resettle them in the towns there, to take the place of the Israelis [who lived there previously]. Those people took control over [the whole] Samaria [region] and lived in the towns there.
Mfalme wa Ashuru akawaleta watu kutoka Babeli na kutoka Kutha, na kutoka Ava, na kutoka Hamathi na Sefarvaimu, na kuwaweka katika mji wa Samaria na kuishi katika huo mji wake.
25 But those people [who came from other countries] did not worship Yahweh when they first arrived in Samaria. So Yahweh sent lions to kill some of them.
Ikatokea wakati walipoanza kuishi huko hawakumcha Yahwe. Hivyo Yahwe akatuma simba miongoni mwao ambao waliwaua baadhi yao.
26 Then those people sent a message to the king of Assyria. They wrote, “We people who have resettled in the towns in Samaria do not know how to worship the God [that the Israelis worshiped] in this land. So he has sent lions among us to kill us, because we have not worshiped him correctly.”
Basi wakaongea na mfalme wa Ashuru, wakisema, “Wale mataifa uliowaamisha na kuwaweka kwenye miji ya Samaria hawayajui mambo wanayotakiwa kuyafanya kutokana na mungu wa nchi. Hivyo alikuwa amewatuma simba kwenda kwao, na, tazama, wale simba walikuwa wakiwauua watu huko kwa sababu hawakufahamu yale mambo waliyokuwa wanatakiwa kuyafanya kwa mungu wa nchi.”
27 [When] the king of Assyria [read this letter, he] commanded [his officers], “You brought many priests here from Samaria. Send one of them back there. Tell him to teach the people who are now living there how to worship correctly the God whom the Israelis worshiped in that land.”
Kisha mfalme wa Ashuru akatoa amri, akisema, “Mchukueni mmoja wa makuhani hapo ambaye mmemleta kutoka huko, na mumwache aende na kuishi huko, na mumwache awafundishe mambo yanayotakiwa kwa mungu wa nchi.”
28 So [the officers did that]. They sent one of the Israeli priests back to Samaria. That priest went to live in Bethel [city], and he taught the people there how to worship Yahweh.
Hivyo mmoja wa makuhani ambaye walimchukua kutoka Samaria akaja na kuishi katika Betheli; akawafundisha jinsi wavyotakiwa mcha Yahwe.
29 But the people [who returned from Babylon and started to live in Samaria and] continued to make their own idols. They placed them in the shrines that the Israelis had built there. The people of each people-group made idols in the cities in which they were living.
Watu wa kila kabila wakajifanyia miungu yao wenyewe, na kuiweka mahala pa juu ambapo Wasamaria walifanya kila kabila katika mji ambako walipoishi.
30 The people from Babylon made idols to represent their god Succoth-Benoth. The people from Cuthah made idols to represent their god Nergal. The people from Hamath made idols to represent their god Ashima.
Watu wa Babeli wakatengeneza Sakoth Benithi; watu wa Sakoth wakatengeneza Nergali; watu wa Hamathi wakatengeza Ashima;
31 The people of Avva made idols to represent their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. The people from Sepharvaim sacrificed their own children. They completely burned them [in pits where hot fires were kept burning, ] as offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
Waavi wakatengeneza Nibhazi na Tartaki. Nao Wasefarvi wakwachoma watoto wao kwenye moto kwa Adrameleki na Anameleki, wale miungu wa Sefarvaimu.
32 But those people also worshiped Yahweh, and they appointed from among their own groups many people to be priests at the shrines on the tops of the hills, in order that those priests could offer sacrifices for them there.
Pia wakamcha Yahwe, na kuwateua kutoka miongoni mwao makuhani wa mahali pa juu, ambao waliteketeza kwa ajili yao kwenye hekalun mahali pa juu.
33 So they revered Yahweh, but they also worshiped their own gods, just as the people living in the countries from which they had been taken to Samaria did.
Wakamcha Yahwe na pia kuabudu miungu yao wenyewe, sawa sawa na tamaduni za mataifa kutoka miongoni mwao waliokuwa wamewachukua.
34 They still keep their old customs. They really do not worship Yahweh, and they do not obey all the laws and commands that Yahweh gave to the descendants of Jacob, to whom he gave the new name Israel.
Hadi siku hii ya leo wameshikilia tamaduni zao za zamani. Wala hawamwogopi Yahwe, wala hawazifuati sheria zake, torati, au amri ambazo Yahwe aliwapa watu wa Yakobo ambaye alemwita jina Israeli
35 Yahweh had previously made an agreement with their ancestors, commanding them not to worship other gods or bow down to honor them or do other things to please them or offer sacrifices to them.
pamoja na ambao Yahwe alifanya agano nao na kuwaamuru, “Msiiche miungu mingine, wala kuisujudia, wala kuiabudu, wala kuitolea sadaka.
36 He had said to them, “You must have an awesome respect for me, Yahweh, the one who brought you out of Egypt with my very great power [DOU]. I am the one whom you must bow down to honor, and I am the one to whom you must offer sacrifices.
Lakini Yahwe, ambaye aliwatoa kutoka nchi ya Misri kwa nguvu kubwa na mkono ulionyooshwa, yeye ndiye mnayetakiwa kumwabudu, yeye ndiye manayetakiwa kumsujudia, na yeye ndiye mnayetakiwa kumtolea sadaka.
37 You must always obey the laws and commands that I [told Moses to] write for you. You must not worship other gods.
Na sheria na hukumu, na torati na amri ambazo alizoziandika kwa ajili yenu, mtazishika milele. Hivyo msiiche miungu mingine,
38 And you must not forget the agreement that I made with your ancestors. You must not revere other gods.
na agano ambalo nimelifanya pamoja nanyi, hamtalisahau; wala kuicha miungu mingine.
39 Instead, you must revere me, Yahweh, your God. If you do that, I will rescue you from the power [MTY] of all your enemies.”
Lakini Yahwe Mungu wenu, ndiye ambaye mtakayemcha. Atawalinda mbali na nguvu ya maadui zenu,”
40 But the people [from those foreign nations] would not heed what Yahweh said. Instead, they continued to adhere to their old customs.
Hawatasikia, kwasababu waliendelea kufanya yale waliyokuwa wameyafanya nyuma.
41 So, they worshiped Yahweh, but they also worshiped their idols. And their descendants still do the same thing.
Hivyo haya mataifa wakamcha Yahwe na pia wakaabudu sanamu zao za kuchonga, na watoto wao wakafanya hivyo hivyo na watoto wa watoto wao. Wakaendelea kufanya yale ambayo babu zao waliyoyafanya, hata leo.
