2 Amakhosi 16

1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa kaPhekha indodana kaRemaliya, u-Ahazi indodana kaJothamu inkosi yakoJuda waqalisa ukubusa.

In the seventeenth year of Pekah, the son of Remaliah: Ahaz, the son of Jotham, reigned as king of Judah.

2 U-Ahazi wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili esiba yinkosi, yena wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka elitshumi lesithupha. Wayengafanani loyise uDavida, ngoba kazange enze ukulunga phambi kukaThixo.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, his God, as his father David did.

3 Wahamba ngezindlela zamakhosi ako-Israyeli waze wenza umnikelo wokutshiswa ngendodana yakhe, elandela izindlela zezizwe ezingamanyala uThixo ayezixotshe abako-Israyeli bengakangeni kulelolizwe.

Instead, he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. Moreover, he even consecrated his son, making him pass through fire, in accord with the idols of the nations that the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel.

4 Wanikela imihlatshelo njalo watshisa impepha ezindaweni zokukhonzela phezu kwamaqaqa langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.

Also, he was immolating victims, and burning incense, in the high places, and on the hills, and under every leafy tree.

5 Ngakho uRezini inkosi yama-Aramu kanye loPhekha indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yako-Israyeli basuka bayahlasela iJerusalema bavimbezela u-Ahazi, kodwa abazange bamehlule.

Then Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, ascended to do battle against Jerusalem. And they besieged Ahaz, but they were not able to overcome him.

6 Ngalesosikhathi, uRezini inkosi yase-Aramu, wahluthuna i-Elathi wayibuyisela kuma-Aramu ngokududula abantu bakoJuda. Ama-Edomi ahle angena e-Elathi ahlala khona kuze kube lamuhla.

At that time, Rezin, the king of Syria, restored Elath to Syria, and he expelled the Judeans from Elath. And the Idumeans went into Elath, and they have lived there, even to this day.

7 U-Ahazi wathuma izithunywa ukuthi ziyekuthi kuThigilathi-Philesa inkosi yase-Asiriya, “Ngiyinceku yakho lesichaka. Woza uzongikhulula esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu lasesandleni senkosi yako-Israyeli, amakhosi angihlaselayo.”

Then Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, the king of the Assyrians, saying: “I am your servant, and I am your son. Ascend and accomplish my salvation from the hand of the king of Syria, and from the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up together against me.”

8 Ngakho u-Ahazi wathatha isiliva legolide elafunyanwa ethempelini likaThixo lasezindlini zenotho zesigodlweni senkosi wakuthumela kwaba yisipho senkosi yase-Asiriya.

And when he had collected the silver and the gold that could be found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king, he sent it as a gift to the king of the Assyrians.

9 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yahle yamhlomulela ngokuhlasela iDamaseko yayithumba. Yakhupha ababehlala khona yabaxotshela eKhiri njalo uRezini yahle yambulala.

And he agreed to his will. For the king of the Assyrians ascended against Damascus, and he laid waste to it. And he carried away its inhabitants to Cyrene. But Rezin he killed.

10 Ngakho inkosi u-Ahazi yasisiya eDamaseko ukuze ibonane loThigilathi-Philesa inkosi yase-Asiriya. Yabona i-alithari eDamaseko yasithumela umdwebo walelo alithare ku-Uriya umphristi lengcazelo egcweleyo yokwakhiwa.

And king Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, the king of the Assyrians. And when he had seen the altar of Damascus, king Ahaz sent to Uriah, the priest, its pattern and likeness, according to all of its work.

11 Ngakho u-Uriya umphristi wasesakha i-alithari ngomdwebo owawuvela enkosini u-Ahazi eDamaseko waliqeda inkosi u-Ahazi ingakaphenduki.

And Uriah, the priest, constructed an altar in accord with all that king Ahaz had commanded from Damascus. Uriah, the priest, did so, until king Ahaz arrived from Damascus.

12 Inkosi ithe isivela eDamaseko yabona i-alithari yahle yayanikela kulo.

And when the king had arrived from Damascus, he saw the altar, and he venerated it. And he went up and immolated holocausts, with his own sacrifice.

13 Inkosi yanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wamabele, yathela okunathwayo komnikelo, yachela igazi lomnikelo wobudlelwano e-alithareni.

And he offered libations, and he poured out the blood of the peace offerings, which he had offered, upon the altar.

14 I-alithari lethusi elalimi phambi kukaThixo yaliletha livela ngaphambili ethempelini, phakathi kwe-alithari elitsha lethempeli likaThixo, yalifaka ngenyakatho ye-alithare elitsha.

But the altar of brass, which was before the Lord, he took away from the face of the temple, and from the place of the altar, and from the place of the temple of the Lord. And he positioned it at the side of the altar, toward the north.

15 Inkosi u-Ahazi yasilaya u-Uriya umphristi yathi, “Phezu kwe-alithari elikhulu elitsha, nikela umnikelo wokutshiswa wekuseni kuthi ntambama kube ngumnikelo wamabele, lomnikelo wabantu bonke elizweni, lomnikelo wabo wonke wamabele kanye lowokunathwayo. Chela i-alithari ngalo lonke igazi leminikelo yokutshiswa kanye lemihlatshelo. Kodwa ngizasebenzisa i-alithari lethusi ukucela iziqondiso.”

Also, king Ahaz instructed Uriah, the priest, saying: “Upon the great altar, offer the morning holocaust, and the evening sacrifice, and the holocaust of the king, and his sacrifice, and the holocaust of the entire people of the land, and their sacrifices. But their libations, and all the blood of the holocaust, and all the blood of the victim, you shall pour out upon it. Then truly, the altar of brass shall be prepared for use at my will.”

16 Ngakho u-Uriya umphristi wenza njengokulaywa kwakhe yinkosi u-Ahazi.

And so Uriah, the priest, acted in accord with all that king Ahaz had instructed to him.

17 Inkosi u-Ahazi yasusa izinsimbi zenqodlana lemiganu phezulu, yethula uLwandle phezu kwenkabi zethusi ezazingaphansi kwalo, yalubeka phezu kwesisekelo selitshe.

Then king Ahaz took away the engraved bases, and the basin that was upon them. And he took down the sea from the bronze oxen, which were holding it up. And he positioned it upon a layer of pavement stone.

18 Yasusa isembeso seSabatha esasakhiwe ethempelini, yavala intuba yokungena inkosi eyayiphandle kwethempeli likaThixo, ivumela okwakufunwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya.

Also, the canopy for the Sabbath, which he had built in the temple, and the exterior entrance of the king, he converted into the temple of the Lord, because of the king of the Assyrians.

19 Ezinye izehlakalo ngombuso ka-Ahazi, kanye lokunye akwenzayo, akulotshwanga egwalweni lwembali yamakhosi akoJuda na?

Now the rest of the words of Ahaz that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?

20 U-Ahazi waya ekuphumuleni kubokhokho bakhe eMzini kaDavida. UHezekhiya indodana yakhe yathatha ubukhosi.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David. And Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his place.