Ukuchithwa kukaIsrayeli
1Ngomnyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda uHosheya indodana kaEla waba-yinkosi eSamariya kwaIsrayeli, wabusa iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye.
2Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nokho kungenjengamakhosi akwaIsrayeli ayephambi kwakhe.
3Kwenyuka ukulwa naye uShalimaneseri inkosi yaseAsiriya; uHosheya waba-yisikhonzi sakhe, wathela intela kuye.
4Inkosi yaseAsiriya yafumana ugobe kuHosheya, ngokuba wayethumé izithunywa kuSo inkosi yaseGibithe, engasenyusi-ntela enkosini yaseAsiriya njengokwenza kwakhe imihla ngemihla; ngalokho inkosi yaseAsiriya yamvalela, yambopha etilongweni.
5Inkosi yaseAsiriya yayisenyuka, yadabula izwe lonke, yenyukela eSamariya, yalivimbezela iminyaka emithathu.
6Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya, inkosi yaseAsiriya yalithatha iSamariya, yathumbela uIsrayeli eAsiriya, yababeka eHala, naseHabori ngasemfuleni waseGozani, nasemizini yamaMede.
7Kwaba-njalo, ngokuba abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, besaba abanye onkulunkulu,
8bahamba ngezimiso zabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli nezamakhosi akwaIsrayeli azenzileyo.
9Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli benza ngasese izinto ezingalungile kuJehova uNkulunkulu, bazakhela izindawo eziphakemeyo emizini yabo yonke ngasemibhoshongweni yabalindi nasemizini ebiyelweyo.
10Bazimisela izinsika nawoAshera* 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 lento.
13Nokho uJehova wayexwayisile oIsrayeli 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 abayalé ngabo ukuthi abayikwenza njengabo.
16Bashiya yonke imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezibunjiweyo, amathole amabili, benza noAshera*, 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 uIsrayeli, wabasusa ebusweni bakhe; akusalanga-muntu, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.
19Naye uJuda akagcinanga imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, kepha wahamba ngezimiso zakwaIsrayeli azenzileyo.
20UJehova wala yonke inzalo kaIsrayeli, wayihlupha, wayinikela esandleni sabaphangi, waze wayilahla ebusweni bakhe.
21Ngokuba wahlwitha uIsrayeli endlini kaDavide; bambeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati inkosi; uJerobowamu wamqubula uIsrayeli ukuba angamlandeli uJehova, wamonisa ngesono esikhulu.
22Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bahamba ezonweni zonke zikaJerobowamu azenzayo, abasukanga kuzo,
23uJehova waze wamsusa uIsrayeli ebusweni bakhe njengokukhuluma kwakhe ngesandla sazo zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi. Wayesethunjwa uIsrayeli ezweni lakubo, wayiswa eAsiriya kuze kube-namuhla.
AmaSamariya nokukhonza kwawo izithombe
24Inkosi yaseAsiriya yalanda abantu eBabele, naseKhutha, naseAva, naseHamati, naseSefarivayimi, yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya esikhundleni sabantwana bakwaIsrayeli; badla iSamariya, bahlala emizini yalo.
25Kwathi ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona abamesabanga uJehova; ngalokho uJehova wathuma izingonyama phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye kubo.
26Base bekhuluma enkosini yaseAsiriya, bethi: Abezizwe obasusileyo wabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe; ngalokho uthumile izingonyama phakathi kwabo; bheka, ziyababulala, ngokuba abawazi umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.
27Inkosi yaseAsiriya 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 nalesosizwe emizini esasihlezi kuyo.
30Abantu baseBabele benza uSukoti-Benoti, abantu baseKhuti benza uNerigali, abantu baseHamati benza uAshima,
31ama-Avi enza oNibihazi noTharithaki, amaSefarivayimi ashisa abantwana bawo ngomlilo koAdirameleki noAnameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefarivayimi.
32Kepha babemkhonza noJehova, bazenzela phakathi kwabo abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ababahlabela ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo.
33Bamesaba uJehova, bakhonza nawonkulunkulu babo njengomthetho wezizwe ababesuswé phakathi kwazo.
34Kuze kube-namuhla benza njengemithetho yakuqala: abamesabi uJehova, abenzi njengezimiso, nezimemezelo zabo, nomthetho wabo, nemiyalo yabo uJehova ayala ngayo abantwana bakwaJakobe amutha uIsrayeli,
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 lezozizwe uJehova, kepha zakhonza izithombe zazo ezibaziweyo, kanjalo nabantwana bazo nabantwana babantwana bazo; njengalokho benzile oyise, benze njalo nabo kuze kube-namuhla.
