< 2 Wafalme 17 >
1 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.
In the twelfth year of the reign of Ahaz over Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria nine years.
2 Alifanya yaliyo maovu usoni pa Yahwe, ila sio kama waflme wa Israeli ambao ulikuwa kabla yake.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3 Shalmanesa mfalme wa Ashuru akamshambulia, na Hoshea akawa mtumishi na kumletea kodi.
Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
4 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.
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
5 Basi mfalme wa Ashuru akamfunga akamtia kifungoni. Kisha mfalme wa Ashuru akaishambulia nchi yote, akaishambulia Samaria na kuizunguka kwa miaka mitatu.
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.
6 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.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
7 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
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods
8 na kutembea katika matendo ya wamataifa ambao Yahwe aliwafukuza mbele ya watu wa Israeli, na katika matendo ya wafalme wa Israeli ambayo waliyokuwa wameyafanya.
and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
9 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.
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.
10 Pia wakasimamisha nguzo za mawe na Ashera juu ya kila mlima chini ya kila mti mbichi.
They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 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,
They burned incense on all the high places like the nations that the LORD had driven out before them. They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger.
12 wakaabudu sanamu, ambazo Yahwe alizokuwa amewaambia, “Msifanye jambo hili.”
They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”
13 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.”
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”
14 Lakini hawakuweza kusikia; badala yake walikuwa wakaidi kama baba zao ambao hawakumwamini Yahwe Mungu wao.
But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.
15 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.
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and themselves became worthless, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.
16 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.
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.
17 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.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
18 Kwa hiyo Yahwe alikuwa na hasira na Israeli na kuwaondoa usoni mwake. Hakubakia mtu hata mmoja isipokuwa kabila la Yuda peke yake.
So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained,
19 Hata watu wa Yuda hawakushika amri za Yahwe Mungu wao, lakini badala yake walifuata mambo hayo hayo ya kipagani ambayo Israeli walifuata.
and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced.
20 Hivyo Yahwe akawakataa vizazi vyote vya Israeli; akawatesa na kuwatia kwenye mkono wa wale wenye kuwateka nyara, hadi atakapokuwa amewatupa usoni mwake.
So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.
21 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.
When the LORD had torn Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king, and Jeroboam led Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.
22 Wana wa Israeli wakafuata dhambi zote za Yeroboamu na hawakujiepusha nazo,
The Israelites persisted in all the sins that Jeroboam had committed and did not turn away from them.
23 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.
Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day.
24 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.
Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
25 Ikatokea wakati walipoanza kuishi huko hawakumcha Yahwe. Hivyo Yahwe akatuma simba miongoni mwao ambao waliwaua baadhi yao.
Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
26 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.”
So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The peoples that you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land. Because of this, He has sent lions among them, which are indeed killing them off.”
27 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.”
Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.”
28 Hivyo mmoja wa makuhani ambaye walimchukua kutoka Samaria akaja na kuishi katika Betheli; akawafundisha jinsi wavyotakiwa mcha Yahwe.
Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.
29 Watu wa kila kabila wakajifanyia miungu yao wenyewe, na kuiweka mahala pa juu ambapo Wasamaria walifanya kila kabila katika mji ambako walipoishi.
Nevertheless, the people of each nation continued to make their own gods in the cities where they had settled, and they set them up in the shrines that the people of Samaria had made on the high places.
30 Watu wa Babeli wakatengeneza Sakoth Benithi; watu wa Sakoth wakatengeneza Nergali; watu wa Hamathi wakatengeza Ashima;
The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 Waavi wakatengeneza Nibhazi na Tartaki. Nao Wasefarvi wakwachoma watoto wao kwenye moto kwa Adrameleki na Anameleki, wale miungu wa Sefarvaimu.
the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of the Sepharvaim.
32 Pia wakamcha Yahwe, na kuwateua kutoka miongoni mwao makuhani wa mahali pa juu, ambao waliteketeza kwa ajili yao kwenye hekalun mahali pa juu.
So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.
33 Wakamcha Yahwe na pia kuabudu miungu yao wenyewe, sawa sawa na tamaduni za mataifa kutoka miongoni mwao waliokuwa wamewachukua.
They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.
34 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
To this day they are still practicing their former customs. None of them worship the LORD or observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom He named Israel.
35 pamoja na ambao Yahwe alifanya agano nao na kuwaamuru, “Msiiche miungu mingine, wala kuisujudia, wala kuiabudu, wala kuitolea sadaka.
For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them.
36 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.
Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him.
37 Na sheria na hukumu, na torati na amri ambazo alizoziandika kwa ajili yenu, mtazishika milele. Hivyo msiiche miungu mingine,
And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.
38 na agano ambalo nimelifanya pamoja nanyi, hamtalisahau; wala kuicha miungu mingine.
Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods,
39 Lakini Yahwe Mungu wenu, ndiye ambaye mtakayemcha. Atawalinda mbali na nguvu ya maadui zenu,”
but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.”
40 Hawatasikia, kwasababu waliendelea kufanya yale waliyokuwa wameyafanya nyuma.
But they would not listen, and they persisted in their former customs.
41 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.
So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.