2 AmaKhosi 17:1-41
17 Ngonyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda, uHosheya+ indodana ka-Elahi waba yinkosi eSamariya+ phezu kuka-Israyeli iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye.
2 Waqhubeka enza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, kuphela hhayi njengamakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayengaphambi kwakhe.+
3 UShalimaneseri+ inkosi yase-Asiriya+ wakhuphuka ezolwa naye, uHosheya waba yinceku yakhe waqala ukukhokha kuye inkokhiso.+
4 Nokho, inkosi yase-Asiriya yathola ukuthi kukhona uzungu+ kuHosheya, ngokuthi wayethumele izithunywa kuSo inkosi yaseGibhithe+ akangayiletha inkokhiso enkosini yase-Asiriya njengaseminyakeni yangaphambili. Ngakho inkosi yase-Asiriya yamvalela yamgcina eboshiwe etilongweni.+
5 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yakhuphuka iyolwa nalo lonke izwe futhi iyovimbezela+ iSamariya iminyaka emithathu.
6 Ngonyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yathumba iSamariya+ yase ihola u-Israyeli yamyisa ekudingisweni+ e-Asiriya yamgcina ehlala eHala+ naseHabori emfuleni iGozani+ nasemizini yamaMede.+
7 Kwathi ngoba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babonile+ kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, owabakhuphula wabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe ngaphansi kwesandla sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe,+ baqala ukwesaba abanye onkulunkulu;+
8 bahamba ngezimiso+ zezizwe uJehova ayezixoshe phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, nangezimiso amakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayezenzile;
9 abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baqala ukuhlola izinto ezazingalungile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo+ bazakhela izindawo eziphakemeyo+ kuyo yonke imizi yabo, kusukela embhoshongweni+ wabalindi kuze kufike emzini onezivikelo eziqinile;
10 bazimisela izinsika ezingcwele+ nezigxobo ezingcwele+ phezu kwawo wonke amagquma aphakemeyo+ nangaphansi kwayo yonke imithi ekhephuzelayo;+
11 futhi lapho phezu kwazo zonke izindawo eziphakemeyo bashunqisa umusi womhlatshelo ngokufana nezizwe+ uJehova ayeziyise ekudingisweni ngenxa yabo, baqhubeka benza izinto ezimbi ukuze bamcasule+ uJehova;
12 Baqhubeka bekhonza izithombe ezinjengendle,+ uJehova ayethe kubo ngokuphathelene nazo: “Ningayenzi le nto”;+
13 uJehova wayelokhu emxwayisa+ u-Israyeli+ noJuda+ ngabo bonke abaprofethi+ bakhe nangabo bonke ababoni bemibono,+ ethi: “Buyani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi+ nigcine imiyalo yami,+ izimiso zami,+ ngokuvumelana nawo wonke umthetho+ engayala ngawo okhokho benu+ nengiwuthumele kini ngezinceku zami abaprofethi”;+
14 abazange balalele kodwa baqhubeka bezenza lukhuni izintamo zabo+ njengezintamo zokhokho babo abangazange balubonise ukholo+ kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo;
15 bazala iziqondiso zakhe nesivumelwano sakhe+ ayesenze nokhokho babo nezikhumbuzo zakhe+ ayebaxwayise ngazo, balandela izithombe eziyize+ futhi baba yize+ nabo ngokwabo, belingisa ngisho nezizwe ezazibazungezile, uJehova ayebayale ukuba bangenzi njengazo;+
16 Bayishiya yonke imiyalo+ kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo bazenzela izithombe ezibunjiwe,+ amathole amabili,+ benza nesigxobo esingcwele,+ baqala ukukhothamela lonke ibutho lasemazulwini+ nokukhonza uBhali;+
17 badabulisa amadodana namadodakazi abo emlilweni+ futhi babhula+ babheka namabika,+ balokhu bezithengisela+ ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, ukuze bamcasule;+
18 Ngakho-ke uJehova wamvuthela kakhulu u-Israyeli ngolaka,+ kangangokuba wamsusa phambi kwakhe.+ Akavumelanga ukuba kusale namunye ngaphandle kwesizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.+
19 Ngisho noJuda akazange ayigcine imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe,+ kodwa wahamba ngezimiso u-Israyeli+ ayezenzile.
20 Ngenxa yalokho uJehova wayidikila yonke inzalo+ ka-Israyeli, walokhu eyihlupha futhi eyinikela ezandleni zabaphangi, kwaze kwaba yilapho eseyilahlile yasuka phambi kwakhe.+
21 Ngoba wamhlwitha u-Israyeli endlini kaDavide, babeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebhati inkosi; uJerobowamu+ wamsusa u-Israyeli ekulandeleni uJehova, wamonisa ngesono esikhulu.+
22 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba kuzo zonke izono uJerobowamu ayezenzile.+ Abasukanga kuzo,
23 uJehova waze wamsusa u-Israyeli phambi kwakhe,+ njengoba nje ayekhulumile ngazo zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi.+ Ngakho u-Israyeli wasuka ezweni lakhe waya ekudingisweni e-Asiriya kuze kube yilolu suku.+
24 Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yase-Asiriya yaletha abantu baseBhabhiloni+ naseKhutha nase-Ava+ naseHamati+ naseSefarivayimi+ yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya+ esikhundleni sabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; bathatha iSamariya bahlala emizini yalo.
25 Lapho beqala ukuhlala lapho abazange bamesabe+ uJehova. Ngakho-ke uJehova wathumela izingonyama+ phakathi kwabo, zababulala.
26 Ngakho bathumela izwi enkosini yase-Asiriya, bathi: “Izizwe oziyise ekudingisweni wazihlalisa emizini yaseSamariya aziyazanga inkolo kaNkulunkulu waleli zwe, kangangokuba ulokhu ethumela izingonyama phakathi kwabo;+ futhi bheka! ziyababulala, njengoba nje kungekho noyedwa owazi inkolo kaNkulunkulu wezwe.”
27 Khona-ke inkosi yase-Asiriya yayala, yathi: “Yalani ukuba kuye lapho omunye wabapristi+ enamhola namyisa ekudingisweni esuka lapho, ukuba ahambe ayohlala lapho abafundise inkolo kaNkulunkulu walelo zwe.”
28 Ngakho omunye wabapristi owayeholwe wayiswa ekudingisweni esuka eSamariya weza wahlala eBhethele,+ waba ngumfundisi wabo obafundisa indlela okufanele bamesabe ngayo uJehova.+
29 Nokho, isizwe ngasinye sazenzela unkulunkulu waso,+ esabe sesimbeka endlini yezindawo eziphakemeyo amaSamariya ayezakhile, isizwe ngasinye, emizini yazo ezazihlala kuyo.
30 Abantu baseBhabhiloni benza uSukoti-bhenoti, abantu baseKhuti+ benza uNerigali, abantu baseHamati benza u-Ashima.
31 Ama-Ava+ wona enza uNibhihazi noTharithaki; amaSefarivayimi+ ayeshisela u-Adirameleki no-Anameleki onkulunkulu baseSefarivayimi amadodana awo emlilweni.+
32 Bamesaba uJehova futhi bazenzela abapristi+ bezindawo eziphakemeyo kubantu abavamile nje, baba yizinceku zabo endlini yezindawo eziphakemeyo.
33 Bamesaba uJehova,+ kodwa babekhulekela onkulunkulu babo,+ ngokwenkolo yezizwe ababedingiswe basuswa phakathi kwazo.+
34 Kuze kube yilolu suku benza ngokwezinkolo zabo zangaphambili.+ Akekho owayemesaba uJehova+ futhi engekho owayenza ngokwezimiso zakhe nezinqumo zakhe zokwahlulela+ nomthetho+ nomyalo+ uJehova ayeyale ngawo abantwana bakwaJakobe,+ ogama lakhe alenza laba ngu-Israyeli;+
35 lapho uJehova enza isivumelwano+ nabo ebayala, ethi: “Ningabesabi abanye onkulunkulu,+ ningabakhothameli noma nibakhonze noma nibenzele umhlatshelo.+
36 Kodwa uJehova owanikhuphula wanikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu nangengalo eyeluliwe,+ nguYe okufanele nimesabe,+ nimkhothamele,+ futhi nimenzele umhlatshelo.+
37 Iziqondiso+ nezinqumo zokwahlulela+ nomthetho nomyalo anilobela kona,+ kufanele niqaphele ukukwenza ngaso sonke isikhathi;+ ningabesabi abanye onkulunkulu.
38 Isivumelwano engisenze nani, akumelwe nisikhohlwe;+ akumelwe nesabe abanye onkulunkulu.+
39 Kodwa nguJehova+ uNkulunkulu wenu okufanele nimesabe, njengoba kunguye oyonikhulula esandleni sazo zonke izitha zenu.”+
40 Abazange balalele, kodwa benza ngokuvumelana nenkolo yabo yangaphambili.+
41 Lezi zizwe zamesaba uJehova,+ kodwa zazikhonza imifanekiso yazo ebaziwe. Amadodana azo nabazukulu bazo, benza njengoba nje kwakwenze okhokho babo kuze kube yilolu suku.
