2 Ndị Eze 17
1 Nʼafọ nke iri na abụọ nke ọchịchị Ehaz, bụ eze Juda, ka Hoshea nwa Elaa ghọrọ eze Izrel nʼobodo Sameria. Ọ chịrị dịka eze afọ itoolu.
Elah’s son Hoshea began to rule Israel after King Ahaz had ruled Judah for twelve years. Hoshea ruled in Samaria for nine years.
2 O mere ihe ọjọọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị mgbe ọ bụ eze. Ma ọ bụghị dịka ndị eze Izrel ndị ọzọ bu ya ụzọ.
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.
3 Shalmanesa eze Asịrịa bịara buso Hoshea agha, nʼihi na Hoshea nọ nʼokpuru ọchịchị eze Asịrịa, bụrụkwa onye na-atụ ụtụ nye ya kwa afọ.
[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.
4 Ma eze Asịrịa chọpụtara na Hoshea abụghị onye kwesiri ntụkwasị obi nʼihi na Hoshea eze Izrel zipụrụ ndị ozi ya ka ha jekwuru So, eze Ijipt, maka enyemaka. Ọzọkwa, Hoshea kwụsịrị ịtụ ụtụ nye eze Asịrịa dịka ọ na-eme kwa afọ. Nʼihi ya Shalmanesa nwụchiri ya, tinye ya nʼụlọ mkpọrọ.
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.
5 Eze Asịrịa wakporo ala ahụ niile nʼagha, gbagoo imegide Sameria, nọchibido ya gburugburu, afọ atọ.
Then he [brought the army of] Assyria to Israel, and they attacked everywhere in that land. His army surrounded Samaria [city] for three years.
6 Nʼafọ itoolu nke ọchịchị Hoshea, eze Asịrịa dọtara Sameria nʼagha, dọkpụrụ ndị Izrel niile buga ha nʼala Asịrịa. O mere ka ha biri nʼobodo Hala, nʼime Gozan nke dị nʼosimiri Hoboa, na nʼime obodo ndị Midia.
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.
7 Ihe ndị a niile mere nʼihi na ndị Izrel mehiere megide Onyenwe anyị, bụ Chineke ha, onye ahụ mere ka ha site nʼokpuru ike Fero, eze Ijipt pụta. Ha kpọrọ isiala nye chi ndị ọzọ
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.
8 gbasoro omenaala niile nke ndị mba ahụ Onyenwe anyị chụpụrụ site nʼala ha. Ha gbasokwara omenaala ọjọọ ndị ahụ niile ndị eze ha webatara.
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).
9 Ndị Izrel mere ihe ndị ahụ niile Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha na-adịghị anabata na nzuzo. Ha wuru ebe ịchụ aja nye chi dị iche iche nʼobodo ha niile, e, nʼobodo ukwu ma nʼobodo nta ọbụla.
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.
10 Ha manyeere onwe ha ogidi nkume, na ogidi chi Ashera nʼelu ugwu ọbụla, na nʼokpuru osisi ọbụla nwere ndo.
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.
11 Ha chụrụ aja nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼelu ugwu ọbụla dịka mba ndị naara ebi nʼala ahụ si eme, bụ ndị Onyenwe anyị chụpụrụ site nʼala ha, mgbe Izrel bịara biri nʼebe ahụ. Ha mere ihe ọjọọ dị iche iche, nke mere ka iwe wee Onyenwe anyị nke ukwuu.
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.
12 E, ha fere arụsị dị iche iche ofufe, lefuo anya na Onyenwe anyị dọrọ ha aka na ntị sị ha, “Unu emela ihe dị otu a.”
Yahweh warned them many times that they should not worship idols, but they did it anyway.
13 Mgbe niile ka Onyenwe anyị na-eziga ndị amụma ya, na ndị ọhụ ụzọ, ịdọ Izrel na Juda aka na ntị, sị ha, “Sitenụ nʼajọ ihe unu na-eme chegharịa. Debenụ iwu na ụkpụrụ m, dịka iwu ahụ niile m nyere nna unu ha ka ha debe si dị, nke m sikwa nʼọnụ ndị ozi m bụ ndị amụma nye unu.”
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].”
14 Ma ndị Izrel jụrụ ige ntị. Kama ha kpachara anya kwesie olu ha ike dịka nna nna ha mere, bụ ndị na-ekwenyeghị na Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha.
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.
15 Ha jụrụ ụkpụrụ ya niile na ọgbụgba ndụ ya, nke ya na ndị bụ nna nna ha gbara na iwu nke ọ dọrọ ha aka na ntị ka ha debe. Ha gbasooro chi arụsị bụ ihe efu, ha onwe ha ghọkwara ihe efu. Ha ṅomiri mba dị iche iche ndị ahụ bi ha gburugburu, nʼagbanyeghị na Onyenwe anyị nyere ha iwu sị, “Unu emela dịka ha.”
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.
16 Ha jụrụ idebe iwu niile Onyenwe anyị Chineke ha nyere ha. Ha meere onwe ha ogidi arụsị Ashera, kpụọrọ onwe ha oyiyi ụmụ ehi abụọ. Ha kpọrọ isiala nye Baal, na anyanwụ, na ọnwa, na kpakpando.
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.
17 Ha jiri ụmụ ha ndị ikom na ụmụ ha ndị inyom chụọ aja nsure ọkụ nye chi ndị mba ọzọ. Ha gakwara nʼaja ịjụ ase, na ịgba aja, si otu a nyefee onwe ha nʼaka ime ihe jọrọ njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị, si otu a kpasuo ya iwe.
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.
18 Ya mere, Onyenwe anyị wesoro Izrel iwe nke ukwuu, wezuga ha site nʼihu ya. Ọ dịkwaghị onye o kwere ka ọ fọdụ, karịakwa naanị ebo Juda.
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].
19 Ma ndị Juda jụkwara idebe ihe niile Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha nyere ha nʼiwu. Ha sooro omume ọjọọ ndị Izrel webatara.
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.
20 Nʼihi nke a, Onyenwe anyị jụrụ ndị Izrel niile. Ọ tara ha ahụhụ site nʼinyefe ha nʼaka ndị na-apụnara mmadụ ihe nʼike tutu ruo mgbe o mere ka e site nʼihu ya wezuga ha.
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.
21 Mgbe Onyenwe anyị mere ka ndị Izrel dọwapụ onwe ha site nʼalaeze Devid, ha mere Jeroboam nwa Nebat, eze ha. Ma Jeroboam mere ka Izrel site nʼiso Onyenwe anyị wezuga onwe ha. O mere ka ha mee mmehie dị ukwuu.
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.
22 Ọ dịkwaghị mgbe ụmụ Izrel sitere nʼime mmehie ahụ Jeroboam dubara ha pụta,
And the Israeli people continued to do the evil things that Jeroboam introduced. They did not turn away from those sins,
23 tutu ruo mgbe Onyenwe anyị kpochapụrụ Izrel niile site nʼihu ya, dịka o kwuru na ọ ga-eme, site nʼọnụ ndị amụma na-ejere ya ozi. Ọ bụ nke a mere ndị Izrel ji gaa biri nʼAsịrịa dịka ndị a dọtara nʼagha ruo taa.
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.
24 Eze Asịrịa sitere nʼala Babilọn, Kuta, Ava, Hamat na Sefavaim kpọta ndị mmadụ bịara biri nʼobodo Sameria ịnọchi anya ndị Izrel niile e sitere nʼebe ahụ bupụ. Nʼụzọ dị otu a, ha nwetara Sameria birikwa nʼobodo ya niile.
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.
25 Ma mgbe ndị Asịrịa malitere ibi nʼebe ahụ, ha atụghị egwu Onyenwe anyị, maọbụ fee ya ofufe. Nʼihi ya, Onyenwe anyị zitere ọdụm ndị batara nʼetiti ha gbuo ụfọdụ mmadụ nʼime ha.
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.
26 Ya mere, e zigara eze Asịrịa ozi sị ya, “Ndị ahụ i dọtara nʼagha mee ka ha bịa biri nʼobodo Sameria amaghị ihe chi nwe ala ahụ chọrọ. O zitere ọdụm nʼetiti ha, nke na-egbu ha, nʼihi na ndị ahụ amaghị ihe ọ chọrọ.”
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.”
27 Eze Asịrịa nyere iwu sị: “Ka otu onye nʼime ndị nchụaja e si na Sameria dọta nʼagha laghachi gaa biri nʼebe ahụ, izi ndị bi nʼobodo ahụ ihe chi ala ahụ chọrọ.”
[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.”
28 Ya mere, otu nʼime ndị nchụaja ebuuru site na Sameria gaa ala ọzọ, bịara biri na Betel, kuziere ha otu ha ga-esi na-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị.
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.
29 Nʼagbanyeghị nke a, ndị mba ọbụla meere onwe ha chi nke aka ha nʼobodo ahụ niile ebe ha bi nʼime ya. Ha guzobere chi ndị a nʼụlọ arụsị nke ndị Sameria wuru nʼebe niile dị elu.
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.
30 Ndị si Babilọn mere chi ha a na-akpọ Sukọt Benot; ndị si Kut emee Neagal, ebe ndị si Hamat mekwara Ashima.
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.
31 Ndị si Ava mekwara Nibaz, na Tatak, ma ndị si Sefavaim na-esure ụmụ ha nʼọkụ dịka aja nye Adramelek na Anamelek, bụ chi ndị Sefavaim.
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.
32 Ha tụrụ egwuOnyenwe anyị, ma ha họpụtara ụdị mmadụ dị iche iche site nʼetiti onwe ha, ndị na-ejere ha ozi dịka ndị nchụaja nʼụlọ chi ha dị nʼebe niile dị elu.
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.
33 Ha na-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị ma ha gara nʼihu na-efe chi nke aka ha dịka omenaala mba ebe ndị e si dọta ha nʼagha si dị.
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.
34 Ruo taa, ha na-anọgidesi ike nʼife ofufe dịka ụzọ ochie ha si dị. Ha adịghị atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, maọbụ mee dịka ụkpụrụ na iwu niile, maọbụ dịka ntụziaka na ihe niile enyere nʼiwu si dị, bụ nke Onyenwe anyị nyere ụmụ Jekọb, onye ọ kpọrọ Izrel.
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.
35 Mgbe Onyenwe anyị na ndị Izrel gbara ndụ, o nyere ha iwu sị, “Unu atụkwala chi ọzọ ọbụla egwu, maọbụ kpọọ isiala nye ha. Unu efela ha ofufe maọbụ chụọ aja nye ha.
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.
36 Ma Onyenwe anyị, onye ji ike dị ukwuu, na aka dị ike e setịpụrụ esetipụ kpọpụta unu site nʼala Ijipt, bụ naanị onye unu ga-atụ egwu. Ya ka unu ga-akpọ isiala nye, ya ka unu ga-achụrụ aja.
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.
37 Unu ga-elezi anya hụ na unu debere ụkpụrụ na iwu niile, ntụziaka na ihe niile enyere nʼiwu ndị a e depụtara nʼakwụkwọ nye unu. Unu atụkwala egwu chi ndị ọzọ.
You must always obey the laws and commands that I [told Moses to] write for you. You must not worship other gods.
38 Unu echefula ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ mụ na unu gbara. Unu akpọkwala isiala nye chi ndị ọzọ nʼihi egwu.
And you must not forget the agreement that I made with your ancestors. You must not revere other gods.
39 Kama, tụọnụ egwu ma fee Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu. Ọ bụ ya ga-anapụta unu site nʼaka ndị iro unu niile.”
Instead, you must revere me, Yahweh, your God. If you do that, I will rescue you from the power [MTY] of all your enemies.”
40 Ma ndị Izrel egeghị ntị, kama, dịka ụzọ ọjọọ ha si dị, ha fere chi ọzọ ofufe.
But the people [from those foreign nations] would not heed what Yahweh said. Instead, they continued to adhere to their old customs.
41 Ọ bụ ezie na ndị a na-efe Onyenwe anyị ofufe, ma ha nọgidekwara na-ejere arụsị niile ha ozi. Ruo taa, ụmụ ha, na ụmụ ụmụ ha, gara nʼihu na-emekwa ihe nna nna ha mere.
So, they worshiped Yahweh, but they also worshiped their idols. And their descendants still do the same thing.
