Eyesibili EyamaKhosi 17:1-41
17 Ngomnyaka wesi-12 wokubusa kuka-Ahazi inkosi yakoJuda, uHosheya+ indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya futhi wabusa okweminyaka engu-9.
2 Waqhubeka esenza okubi phambi kukaJehova, kodwa kazange afike kulokho okwenziwa ngamakhosi ako-Israyeli ayebuse ngaphambi kwakhe.
3 Inkosi ye-Asiriya uShalimanesa yabuya yazohlasela uHosheya,+ wasesiba yinceku yayo waqalisa ukubhadala umthelo kuyo.+
4 Kodwa inkosi ye-Asiriya yezwa ukuthi uHosheya wayesehlamuka ngoba wayethume izithunywa kuSo inkosi yeGibhithe+ njalo wayengazange abhadale umthelo enkosini ye-Asiriya njengalokho ayekwenza minyaka yonke. Ngakho inkosi ye-Asiriya yambopha yamfaka ejele wahlala ebotshiwe.
5 Inkosi ye-Asiriya yahlasela lonke ilizwe lako-Israyeli, yavimbezela iSamariya okweminyaka emithathu.
6 Ngomnyaka wesi-9 wokubusa kukaHosheya, inkosi ye-Asiriya yanqoba iSamariya+ yasithumba abantu bako-Israyeli+ yabahambisa e-Asiriya. Yabahlalisa eHala laseHabhori ngasemfuleni uGozani+ kanye lasemadolobheni amaMede.+
7 Lokhu kwenzakala ngenxa yokona kwabako-Israyeli phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabakhipha elizweni leGibhithe esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yeGibhithe.+ Babekhonza* abanye onkulunkulu,+
8 belandela imikhuba eyayisenziwa yizizwe uJehova ayezixotshe phambi kwabako-Israyeli kanye lemikhuba eyayisungulwe ngamakhosi ako-Israyeli.
9 Abako-Israyeli babethanda ukwenza izinto uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo azizondayo. Baqhubeka besakha izindawo eziphakemeyo* kuwo wonke amadolobho abo,+ kusukela ezinqabeni zokulinda kusiya emadolobheni avikelwe ngemiduli.*
10 Babemisa insika ezikhonzwayo lezithombe zika-Ashera*+ kuwo wonke amaqaqa langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziyizithingithingi.+
11 Babetshisa imihlatshelo kuzo zonke izindawo eziphakemeyo njengalokho okwakusenziwa yizizwe uJehova azisusa phambi kwabo wazisa ekuthunjweni.+ Babelokhu besenza izinto ezimbi bemcaphula uJehova.
12 Baqhubeka bekhonza izithombe ezenyanyekayo*+ lanxa uJehova wayebatshele wathi: “Akumelanga likwenze lokho!”+
13 UJehova wayelokhu ebaxwayisa abako-Israyeli labakoJuda esebenzisa bonke abaphrofethi bakhe labo bonke ababebona imibono,+ esithi: “Tshiyani izindlela zenu ezimbi!+ Gcinani imilayo yami lezimiso zami, lawo wonke umthetho engawunika okhokho benu futhi engathuma izinceku zami ezingabaphrofethi ukuthi zilitshele wona.”
14 Kodwa bona abazange balalele njalo baba yiziqholo njengabokhokho babo ababengelakholo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.+
15 Babelokhu bengafuni ukulalela imithetho yakhe futhi bengafuni ukugcina isivumelwano+ ayesenze labokhokho babo kanye lezikhumbuzo ayebatshela zona ebaxwayisa.+ Babelokhu bekhonza izithombe ezingelancedo,+ yikho labo baba ngabantu abangelancedo.+ Babelingisela izizwe ezazibagombolozele, lezo uJehova ayebatshele ukuthi bangazilingiseli.+
16 Baqhubeka bephambuka kuyo yonke imilayo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Benza amathole amabili ngensimbi,+ benza lesithombe sika-Ashera,*+ bakhonza uBhali+ futhi bakhothamela lonke ibutho elisemazulwini.*+
17 Babetshisa amadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni,+ behlahlula+ futhi bebhula.* Babezimisele ngenhliziyo yonke ukwenza okubi phambi kukaJehova ukuze bamthukuthelise.
18 Ngakho uJehova wabathukuthelela kakhulu abako-Israyeli wabasusa phambi kwakhe.+ Kazange atshiye loyedwa wabo ngaphandle kwabesizwana sakoJuda.
19 Abantu bakoJuda labo abazange bayilandele imilayo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.+ Balandela imikhuba eyayisenziwa ngabako-Israyeli.+
20 UJehova wabalahla bonke ababeyizizukulwane zako-Israyeli njalo wabayangisa wabanikela ezandleni zezitha zabo zabathumba, waze wabasusa bonke phambi kwakhe.
21 Wakhipha abako-Israyeli ngaphansi kombuso wabendlu kaDavida, bona basebebeka uJerobhowami indodana kaNebhathi waba yinkosi yabo.+ Kodwa uJerobhowami wenza abako-Israyeli batshiya ukulandela uJehova njalo wabangela ukuthi benze isono esikhulu.
22 Abantu bako-Israyeli baqhubeka besenza zonke izono ezazenziwe nguJerobhowami.+ Abazange bazitshiye izono lezo
23 uJehova waze wabasusa phambi kwakhe, njengoba nje wayekhulumile esebenzisa zonke izinceku zakhe ezingabaphrofethi.+ Ngakho abako-Israyeli bathunjwa elizweni labo bahanjiswa e-Asiriya+ futhi balokhu bekhonale kuze kube lamuhla.
24 Inkosi ye-Asiriya yaletha abantu beBhabhiloni, labeKhuthi, labe-Ava, labeHamathi kanye labeSefavayimi+ yabahlalisa emadolobheni aseSamariya lapho eyayisuse khona abako-Israyeli. Abantu laba bahlala eSamariya lasemadolobheni ayo.
25 Babengamesabi* uJehova ngesikhathi beqalisa ukuhlala lapho. Yikho uJehova wathumela izilwane phakathi kwabo,+ zabulala abanye babo.
26 Kwabikwa enkosini ye-Asiriya kwathiwa: “Izizwe owazithumbayo wayazihlalisa amadolobheni aseSamariya azikwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu welizwe lelo ukhonzwa njani. Yikho uqhubeka ethuma izilwane ukuthi zibabulale ngoba phakathi kwabo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi uNkulunkulu walelolizwe ukhonzwa njani.”
27 Ngakho inkosi ye-Asiriya yathi: “Thathani omunye wabaphristi elabathumba elizweni lelo limbuyisele ayehlala khona, abafundise ukuthi uNkulunkulu walelolizwe ukhonzwa njani.”
28 Omunye wabaphristi owayethunjwe eSamariya wabuyela wayahlala eBhetheli,+ waseqalisa ukubafundisa ukuthi bamkhonze njani* uJehova.+
29 Lanxa kunjalo izizwe zonke zenza onkulunkulu bazo zababeka ezindlini zokukhonzela ezazisezindaweni eziphakemeyo ezazenziwe ngabantu beSamariya. Isizwe ngasinye sasilonkulunkulu waso edolobheni esasihlala kulo.
30 Abantu beBhabhiloni benza uSukhothi-bhenothi, abeKhuthi bona benza uNerigali, abeHamathi+ benza u-Ashima,
31 abe-Ava benza uNibhazi loTharithakhi. AbeSefavayimi bona babesenza imihlatshelo ngamadodana abo ku-Adrameleki lo-Anameleki, onkulunkulu beSefavayimi.+
32 Lanxa babemesaba uJehova, babeka abaphristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo bebakhetha ebantwini nje. Abaphristi laba yibo ababekhokhela ezindlini zokukhonzela ezazisezindaweni eziphakemeyo.+
33 Babemesaba uJehova kodwa bekhonza onkulunkulu babo belandela imikhuba eyayisenziwa ezizweni ababethunjwe kuzo.+
34 Kuze kube lamuhla balokhu belandela indlela ababekhonza ngayo kudala. Phakathi kwabo akula okhonza* uJehova kumbe olandela izimiso zakhe, lezahlulelo zakhe, loMthetho kanye lomlayo uJehova awupha amadodana kaJakhobe, lowo amtshintsha ibizo waba ngu-Israyeli.+
35 UJehova wathi esenza isivumelwano labo+ wabatshela wathi: “Akumelanga lesabe abanye onkulunkulu futhi akumelanga libakhothamele kumbe libakhonze loba libenzele imihlatshelo.+
36 Kumele lesabe+ uJehova owalikhipha elizweni leGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langengalo eyeluliweyo+ njalo nguye okumele limkhothamele limenzele lemihlatshelo.
37 Kumele lilandele ngonanzelelo izimiso, lezahlulelo, loMthetho kanye lomlayo alibhalela wona+ njalo akumelanga lesabe abanye onkulunkulu.
38 Akumelanga lisikhohlwe isivumelwano engasenza lani+ futhi lingesabi abanye onkulunkulu.
39 Kumele lesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ngoba nguye ozalikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu zonke.”
40 Kodwa bona abazange balalele, balandela indlela ababekhonza ngayo kudala.+
41 Lanxa abantu bezizwe lezi babemesaba uJehova,+ babekhonza izithombe zabo ezibaziweyo. Kuze kube lamuhla amadodana abo labazukulu babo balokhu besenza lokho okwakusenziwa ngokhokho babo.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “Basebesesaba.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ukuthi babesakha yonke indawo, ezindaweni ezilabantu abalutshwana lezilabantu abanengi.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Ibala lesiHebheru elisetshenziswe lapha lingabe lihambelana lebala elitsho ubulongwe futhi lisetshenziswa nxa kukhulunywa ngento enyanyisayo.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ilanga lenyanga lezinkanyezi.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ukufuna ukwazi ngekusasa usebenzisa indlela zesidimoni. Kugoqela lokudingisisa ukuthi okwenzakeleyo kutshoni.
^ NgesiHebheru, “Babengamkhonzi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ukuthi bamesabe.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “owesaba.”
