2 AmaKhosi 17

₁Ngomnyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi eSamariya kwa-Israyeli, wabusa iminyaka eyisihiyagalolunye. ₂Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nokho kungenjengamakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayephambi kwakhe.

₃Kwenyuka ukulwa naye uShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya; uHosheya waba yisikhonzi sakhe, wathela intela kuye. ₄Inkosi yase-Asiriya yafumana ugobe kuHosheya, ngokuba wayethume izithunywa kuSo inkosi yaseGibithe, engasenyusi ntela enkosini yase-Asiriya njengokwenza kwakhe imihla ngemihla; ngalokho inkosi yase-Asiriya yamvalela, yambopha etilongweni. ₅Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisenyuka, yadabula izwe lonke, yenyukela eSamariya, yalivimbezela iminyaka emithathu. ₆Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yalithatha iSamariya, yathumbela u-Israyeli e-Asiriya, yababeka eHala, naseHabori ngasemfuleni waseGozani, nasemizini yamaMede.

₇Kwaba njalo, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, besaba abanye onkulunkulu, ₈bahamba ngezimiso zabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nezamakhosi akwa-Israyeli azenzileyo. ₉Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza ngasese izinto ezingalungile kuJehova uNkulunkulu, bazakhela izindawo eziphakemeyo emizini yabo yonke ngasemibhoshongweni yabalindi nasemizini ebiyelweyo. ₁₀Bazimisela izinsika nawo-Ashera* emagqumeni onke aphakemeyo naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza, ₁₁bashisa khona impepho ezindaweni zonke eziphakemeyo njengokwenza kwabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabo, benza izinto ezimbi ukumcunula uJehova, ₁₂bakhonza izithombe uJehova ashilo ngazo kubo ukuthi: “Aniyikwenza le nto.” ₁₃Nokho uJehova wayexwayisile o-Israyeli noJuda ngesandla sabo bonke abaprofethi nababoni ukuthi: “Phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi, nigcine imiyalo yami nezimiso zami njengawo wonke umthetho engayala ngawo oyihlo nengawuthuma kini ngesandla sezinceku zami abaprofethi.”

₁₄Kepha abalalelanga; benza lukhuni intamo yabo njengentamo yawoyise abangakholwanga nguJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. ₁₅Badelela izimiso zakhe, nesivumelwano sakhe asenzayo nawoyise, nezixwayiso abaxwayisa ngazo, balandela okuyize, benza okuyize, balandela abezizwe ababebazungeza, uJehova abayale ngabo ukuthi abayikwenza njengabo.

₁₆Bashiya yonke imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezibunjiweyo, amathole amabili, benza no-Ashera,* bakhuleka kulo lonke ibandla lasezulwini, bakhonza uBali. ₁₇Badabulisa amadodana abo namadodakazi abo emlilweni, babhula, benza imilingo, bazithengisela ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova ukumcunula.

₁₈Ngalokho uJehova wathukuthelela u-Israyeli, wabasusa ebusweni bakhe; akusalanga muntu, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela. ₁₉Naye uJuda akagcinanga imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, kepha wahamba ngezimiso zakwa-Israyeli azenzileyo. ₂₀UJehova wala yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli, wayihlupha, wayinikela esandleni sabaphangi, waze wayilahla ebusweni bakhe.

₂₁Ngokuba wahlwitha u-Israyeli endlini kaDavide; bambeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati inkosi; uJerobowamu wamqubula u-Israyeli ukuba angamlandeli uJehova, wamonisa ngesono esikhulu. ₂₂Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba ezonweni zonke zikaJerobowamu azenzayo, abasukanga kuzo, ₂₃uJehova waze wamsusa u-Israyeli ebusweni bakhe njengokukhuluma kwakhe ngesandla sazo zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi. Wayesethunjwa u-Israyeli ezweni lakubo, wayiswa e-Asiriya kuze kube namuhla.

₂₄Inkosi yase-Asiriya yalanda abantu eBabele, naseKhutha, nase-Ava, naseHamati, naseSefarivayimi, yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya esikhundleni sabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; badla iSamariya, bahlala emizini yalo. ₂₅Kwathi ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona abamesabanga uJehova; ngalokho uJehova wathuma izingonyama phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye kubo. ₂₆Base bekhuluma enkosini yase-Asiriya, bethi: “Abezizwe obasusileyo wabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe; ngalokho uthumile izingonyama phakathi kwabo; bheka, ziyababulala, ngokuba abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.”

₂₇Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisiyala ngokuthi: “Yisani khona omunye wabapristi enibathumbile lapho, ahambe ahlale khona, abafundise umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.” ₂₈Wayesefika omunye wabapristi ababebathumbile eSamariya, wahlala eBethele, wabafundisa ukumesaba uJehova.

₂₉Kodwa zonke izizwe zazenzela onkulunkulu bazo, zababeka ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazenziwe ngamaSamariya, kwaba yileso naleso sizwe emizini esasihlezi kuyo. ₃₀Abantu baseBabele benza uSukoti Benoti, abantu baseKhuti benza uNerigali, abantu baseHamati benza u-Ashima, ₃₁ama-Avi enza oNibihazi noTharithaki, amaSefarivayimi ashisa abantwana bawo ngomlilo ko-Adirameleki no-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefarivayimi. ₃₂Kepha babemkhonza noJehova, bazenzela phakathi kwabo abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ababahlabela ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo. ₃₃Bamesaba uJehova, bakhonza nawonkulunkulu babo njengomthetho wezizwe ababesuswe phakathi kwazo.

₃₄Kuze kube namuhla benza njengemithetho yakuqala: abamesabi uJehova, abenzi njengezimiso, nezimemezelo zabo, nomthetho wabo, nemiyalo yabo uJehova ayala ngayo abantwana bakwaJakobe amutha u-Israyeli, ₃₅uJehova enza nabo isivumelwano, wabayala wathi: “Aniyikwesaba abanye onkulunkulu, ningakhothameli kubo, ningabakhonzi, ningabahlabeli; ₃₆kepha uJehova owanikhuphula ezweni laseGibithe ngamandla amakhulu nangengalo eyeluliweyo yena niyakumesaba, kuyena niyakukhothamela, nimhlabele yena; ₃₇izimiso nezimemezelo nomthetho nemiyalo anilobela khona yikho eniyakukugcina ukuba nikwenze; ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu; ₃₈aniyikukhohlwa isivumelwano engisenzile nani, ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu; ₃₉kepha niyakwesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; yena uyakunophula esandleni sazo zonke izitha zenu.”

₄₀Nokho abalalelanga, kodwa benza njengemithetho yabo yakuqala. ₄₁Zesaba-ke lezo zizwe uJehova, kepha zakhonza izithombe zazo ezibaziweyo, kanjalo nabantwana bazo nabantwana babantwana bazo; njengalokho benzile oyise, benze njalo nabo kuze kube namuhla.