2 Amakhosi 17
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wokubusa kuka-Ahazi inkosi yakoJuda, uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya, njalo wabusa iminyaka eyisificamunwemunye.
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah has reigned over Israel in Samaria, nine years,
2 Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo, kodwa akubanga njengokwamakhosi ako-Israyeli amandulelayo.
and he does evil in the eyes of YHWH, only, not as the kings of Israel who were before him;
3 UShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya weza wahlasela uHosheya, owayekade eyisichaka sakhe esasithela kuye.
Shalmaneser king of Asshur came up against him, and Hoshea is a servant to him, and renders a present to him.
4 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.
And the king of Asshur finds in Hoshea a conspiracy, in that he has sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and has not caused a present to go up to the king of Asshur, as year by year, and the king of Asshur restrains him, and binds him in a house of restraint.
5 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yasihlasela ilizwe lonke, yangena eSamariya yalivimbezela okweminyaka emithathu.
And the king of Asshur goes up into all the land, and he goes up to Samaria, and lays siege against it [for] three years;
6 Ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumba iSamariya yaxotshela abako-Israyeli e-Asiriya. Yabahlalisa eHala, ngaseGozani eMfuleni uHabhori lasemizini yamaMede.
in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Asshur has captured Samaria, and removes Israel to Asshur, and causes them to dwell in Halah, and in Habor, [by] the river Gozan, and [in] the cities of the Medes.
7 Konke lokhu kwenzakala ngenxa yokona kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaThixo, owabakhupha eGibhithe emandleni kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu
And it comes to pass, because the sons of Israel have sinned against their God YHWH—who brings them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt—and fear other gods,
8 belandela lemikhuba yezizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo kanye lemikhuba amakhosi ako-Israyeli ayeseyingenisile.
and walk in the statutes of the nations that YHWH dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, and of the kings of Israel that they made;
9 Basebesenza ngasese izinto ezazingalunganga kuThixo. Kusukela emphongolweni wesilindo kusiya enqabeni yomuzi basebezakhele izindawo zokukhonzela emizini yabo.
and the sons of Israel covertly do things that [are] not right against their God YHWH, and build high places for themselves in all their cities, from a tower of the watchers to the fortified city,
10 Bazimisela amatshe okukhonzela lezinsika zika-Ashera kuwo wonke amaqaqa aphakemeyo langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.
and set up standing-pillars and Asherim for themselves on every high height, and under every green tree,
11 Kuzozonke izindawo zokukhonzela batshisa impepha, njengalokhu okwakusenziwa yizizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kwabo. Benza okubi okwathukuthelisa uThixo.
and make incense there in all high places, like the nations that YHWH removed from their presence, and do evil things to provoke YHWH,
12 Bakhonza izithombe, lanxa uThixo wayethe, “Lingabokwenza lokhu.”
and serve the idols, of which YHWH said to them, “You do not do this thing.”
13 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.”
And YHWH testifies against Israel, and against Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn back from your evil ways, and keep My commands, My statutes, according to all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets”;
14 Kodwa abalalelanga njalo baba ntamolukhuni njengabokhokho babo, bona abangazange bathembele kuThixo wabo.
and they have not listened, and harden their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who did not remain steadfast in their God YHWH,
15 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.
and reject His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies that He testified against them, and go after the vain thing, and become vain, and after the nations that are around them, of whom YHWH commanded them not to do like them.
16 Bayephula yonke imilayo kaThixo wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezikhandiweyo ezamathole amabili, benza insika ku-Ashera. Bakhothamela zonke izinkanyezi zezulu, njalo bakhonza uBhali.
And they forsake all the commands of their God YHWH, and make a molten image for themselves—two calves, and make an Asherah, and bow themselves to all the host of the heavens, and serve Ba‘al,
17 Benza umhlatshelo ngamadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni. Babevumisa njalo besenza ubuthakathi, bazinikela ekwenzeni okubi phambi kukaThixo bamthukuthelisa.
and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke Him.
18 Ngakho uThixo wabathukuthelela abako-Israyeli wabaxotsha kuye. Isizwana sakoJuda yiso kuphela esasalayo,
And YHWH shows Himself very angry against Israel, and turns them aside from His presence; none has been left, only the tribe of Judah by itself.
19 loba nje laye uJuda engayigcinanga imilayo kaThixo. Balandela imikhuba eyayingeniswe ngabako-Israyeli.
Also Judah has not kept the commands of their God YHWH, and they walk in the statutes of Israel that they had made.
20 Ngakho uThixo wakhalala bonke abantu bako-Israyeli; wabahlukuluza njalo wabanikela ezandleni zabaphangi, waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe.
And YHWH kicks against all the seed of Israel, and afflicts them, and gives them into the hand of spoilers, until He has cast them out of His presence,
21 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.
for He has torn Israel from the house of David, and they make Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam drives Israel from after YHWH, and has caused them to sin a great sin,
22 Abako-Israyeli baqhubeka ngazozonke izono zikaJerobhowamu abaze bazidela.
and the sons of Israel walk in all the sins of Jeroboam that he did, they have not turned aside from them,
23 UThixo waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe, njengoba wayexwayisile ngezinceku zakhe zonke abaphrofethi. Ngakho abantu bako-Israyeli bathunjwa elizweni labo basiwa e-Asiriya, njalo balokhu bekhonale.
until YHWH has turned Israel aside from His presence, as He spoke by the hand of all His servants the prophets, and Israel is removed from off its land to Asshur, to this day.
24 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yaletha abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni, leKhutha, le-Ava, leHamathi kanye leSefavayimi yayabahlalisa emizini yeSamariya endaweni eyayingeyabako-Israyeli.
And the king of Asshur brings in [people] from Babylon and from Cutha, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and causes [them] to dwell in the cities of Samaria instead of the sons of Israel, and they possess Samaria, and dwell in its cities;
25 Ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona, babengamkhonzi uThixo; ngakho uThixo wathumela izilwane phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye babo.
and it comes to pass, at the commencement of their dwelling there, they have not feared YHWH, and YHWH sends the lions among them, and they are destroying among them.
26 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.”
And they speak to the king of Asshur, saying, “The nations that you have removed and place in the cities of Samaria have not known the custom of the God of the land, and He sends the lions among them, and behold, they are destroying them, as they do not know the custom of the God of the land.”
27 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yakhupha isiqondiso yathi, “Thuma omunye wabaphristi owabathumbayo eSamariya, abuyele ayohlala labantu njalo abafundise ukuthi unkulunkulu walelolizwe ufunani.”
And the king of Asshur commands, saying, “Cause one of the priests to go there whom you removed from there, and they go and dwell there, and he teaches them the custom of the God of the land.”
28 Ngakho omunye wabaphristi ababethunjwe eSamariya weza wayahlala eBhetheli wabafundisa ukuthi uThixo ukhonzwa njani?
And one of the priests whom they removed from Samaria comes in, and dwells in Beth-El, and he is teaching them how they fear YHWH,
29 Loba kunjalo, yileloqembu ngobuzwe balo lenza onkulunkulu balo emadolobheni wonke ababehlaliswe khona, bababeka ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezazakhiwe ngabantu beSamariya.
and each nation is making its gods, and they place [them] in the houses of the high places that the Samaritans have made—each nation in their cities where they are dwelling.
30 Abantu ababevela eBhabhiloni babumba uSukhothi-Bhenothi, kwathi ababevela eKhutha benza uNerigali, ababevela eHamathi benza u-Ashima,
And the men of Babylon have made Succoth-Benoth, and the men of Cuth have made Nergal, and the men of Hamath have made Ashima,
31 ama-Avi enza uNibhazi kanye loTharithaki, lamaSefavi enza umhlatshelo ngokutshisa abantwababo emlilweni benikela ku-Adrameleki lo-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefavayimi.
and the Avites have made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites are burning their sons with fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, gods of Sepharvim.
32 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa basebezikhethela phakathi kwabo inhlobo zonke zabantu ukuthi babe ngabaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela.
And they are fearing YHWH, and make for themselves from their extremities priests of high places, and they are working for them in the house of the high places.
33 Bamkhonza uThixo, kodwa babekhonza labonkulunkulu babo belandela imikhuba yezizwe ababevela kizo.
They are fearing YHWH, and they are serving their gods, according to the custom of the nations from where they removed them.
34 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.
To this day they are doing according to the former customs—they are not fearing YHWH, and are not doing according to their statutes, and according to their ordinances, and according to the Law, and according to the command, that YHWH commanded the sons of Jacob whose name He made Israel,
35 UThixo wathi esenza isivumelwano labako-Israyeli, wabalaya wathi, “Lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu loba ukubakhothamela, lingabenzeli lutho loba ukubenzela umhlatshelo.
and YHWH makes a covenant with them and charges them, saying, “You do not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them,
36 Khonzani kuphela uThixo, yena owalikhuphula walisusa eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla somusa esivulekileyo, nguye yedwa okumele limkhonze. Kuye lizakhothama njalo kuye lizanikela imihlatshelo.
but YHWH who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with an outstretched arm, Him you fear, and to Him you bow yourselves, and to Him you sacrifice;
37 Linanzelele ngezikhathi zonke ukulondoloza izimiso, leziqondiso, imithetho lemilayo alilobela yona. Lingabokhonza abanye onkulunkulu.
and the statutes, and the judgments, and the Law, and the command, that He wrote for you, you observe to do all the days, and you do not fear other gods;
38 Lingakhohlwa isivumelwano engasenza lani, njalo lingakhonzi abanye onkulunkulu.
and you do not forget the covenant that I have made with you, and you do not fear other gods;
39 Kodwa, khonzani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, nguye ozalikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu zonke.”
but you fear your God YHWH, and He delivers you out of the hand of all your enemies”;
40 Loba kunjalo, kabazange balalele kodwa baqhubeka belandela imikhuba yabo yakuqala.
and they have not listened, but they are doing according to their former custom,
41 Lanxa babemkhonza uThixo, babelandela izithombe zabo. Lalamuhla abantwababo labantwana babantwababo balokhu besenza khonokho okwakusenziwa ngoyise.
and these nations are fearing YHWH, and they have served their carved images, both their sons and their sons’ sons; as their fathers did, they are doing to this day.
