1 Kwathi ngonyaka weshumi elinambini uAhazi engukumkani wakwaJuda wangena embusweni uHosheya, unyana kaEla, waba ngukumkani kwaSirayeli eSamariya. Walawula iminyaka elithoba.
2 Wênza okubi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo, kambe ke noko akafananga nookumkani bakwaSirayeli ababemandulele.
3 Ke uShalmanesere ukumkani waseAsiriya wahlasela uHosheya owayekade ephantsi kwakhe emnika imirhumo.
4 Ukumkani waseAsiriya wafumanisa ukuba uHosheya umgwilikele, kuba wayethumele oonozaku-zaku kukumkani waseJiputa onguSo, futhi ke engasayikhuphi imirhumo awayefudula eyikhupha minyaka le. Ngoko ke uShalmanesere wambamba wamvalela entolongweni uHosheya.
5 Ewe, ukumkani waseAsiriya wahlasela elo lizwe liphela; ke yona iSamariya wayingqinga iminyaka emithathu.
6 Kuthe ke kunyaka wethoba elawula uHosheya, suka ukumkani waseAsiriya wayoyisa iSamariya, waza amaSirayeli lawo wawafudusela eAsiriya. Wawahlalisa eHala nakwiGozan ephezu komlambo iHabhore, ngokunjalo nakwiidolophu zamaMedi.
7 Le ntlekele ke yamhlela uSirayeli kuba emonile *uNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe owaya kumkhuphulula wamkhulula eJiputa phantsi kwesandla esingqongqo sokumkani wakhona. Basuka banqula thixo bambi,
8 balandela imikhwa yeentlanga awazigxothayo *uNdikhoyo, waza wafaka amaSirayeli emhlabeni wazo. Kananjalo bangena kwimikhwa eyangeniswa ngookumkani bakwaSirayeli.
9 AmaSirayeli anyebelezela enza izinto ezichaseneyo noNdikhoyo uThixo wawo, zinto ezo wayengazifuni. Azakhela iindawo zonqulo kuzo zonke iidolophu, ukusukela kwimboniselo yabalindi kuye kutsho kwizixeko ezinqatyisiweyo.
10 Amisa iintsika zamatye kunye nemifanekiso ka-Ashera kuzo zonke iinduli naphantsi kwayo yonke imithi efukufuku.
11 AmaSirayeli ayesenza iziqhumiso kuzo zonke iinduli zawo zonqulo, mkhwa lowo ke wawusenziwa ziintlanga awazigxothayo uNdikhoyo phambi kokuba afake amaSirayeli khona. Ewe, ayesenza izinto azichasileyo uNdikhoyo; ngaloo ndlela ke awuxhokonxa umsindo wakhe.
12 Ewe, ayenqula *izithixo, nangona uNdikhoyo wayethe: “Ze ningayenzi into enjalo.”
13 Kaloku uNdikhoyo wayemlumkisile uSirayeli ndawonye noJuda, ethetha nabo ngabashumayeli bakhe neemboni, esithi: “Buyani kwiindlela zenu ezikhohlakeleyo. Yithobeleni imithetho ndawonye nemimiselo yam. Ziphatheni ngokwezimiso zomthetho xa uwonke, ngokwelizwi endalimisela ooyihlo ndathi mabalithobele, ndabuya ndalithetha nakuni ngabashumayeli abazizicaka zam.”
14 Kambe ke amaSirayeli asuka akaphulaphula, koko ankaniza njengooyise ábâsuka àbakholosa ngoNdikhoyo uThixo wabo.
15 Basuka bayibukula imimiselo kunye nomnqophiso awayewenze kunye nooyise, abazikhathalela nezilumkiso awabayala ngazo. AmaSirayeli asuka alandelana nemifanekiso ephuthileyo, aza kananjalo nawo aphutha. Asuka alinganisa iintlanga ezaziwangqongile, nangona uNdikhoyo wayewayalile wathi: “Ze ningayilandeli imikhwa yazo.”
16 Ayilahla yonke imithetho kaNdikhoyo uThixo wawo, aza azenzela imifanekiso etyhidiweyo yethole yamibini, aqingqa nomfanekiso ka-Ashera. Aguqa abusa kuzo zonke iinkwenkwezi, anqula noBhali.
17 AmaSirayeli afaka oonyana neentombi zawo emlilweni, esenza amadini ngabo. Ewe, angena kwimikhwa yokuvumisa, ahamba nakoosiyazi, azinikezela ekwenzeni okubi emehlweni kaNdikhoyo, emcaphukisa.
18 Ngoko ke *uNdikhoyo wakhathazeka gqitha, waza wawasusa amaSirayeli phambi kwakhe, akwasala namnye ngaphandle nje kwendlu kaJuda.
19 Kanti nayo leyo ayiyithobelanga imithetho kaNdikhoyo uThixo wayo. Nabo bangena ekhondweni lemikhwa eyaqalwa nguSirayeli.
20 Ngeso sizathu ke uNdikhoyo wawabukula amaSirayeli xa ewonke. Suka wawabandezela, wawayekela azizisulu zokuxhatshazwa. Ekugqibeleni ke wawasusa phambi kwakhe.
21 UNdikhoyo wathi akumahlula uSirayeli kwindlu kaDavide, suka uSirayeli wathatha uJerobhowam unyana kaNebhati, wamenza ukumkani. UJerobhowam lowo ke wamwexula uSirayeli ekulandeleni uNdikhoyo, wamlukuhla, wamfaka kwisonokazi esikhulu.
22 AmaSirayeli athi nca kwizono zikaJerobhowam, akavuma ukwahlukana nazo,
23 wada ke uNdikhoyo wawagxotha ngokwesilumkiso awayesenze ngomlomo wezicaka zakhe abashumayeli. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli afuduswa kwelakowawo, agxothelwa eAsiriya, apho asekhona ke unanamhla.
24 Ke kaloku ukumkani waseAsiriya waya kuthatha abantu eBhabheli, eKuta, eAva, eHamati, naseSefarvayim, waza wabahlalisa kwiidolophu zamaSirayeli eSamariya. ISamariya leyo ke bayithathela kubo, bahlala kwiidolophu zayo.
25 Ekungeneni kwabo khona zange bamnqule *uNdikhoyo; ngoko ke wabathumela ngeengonyama ezababulalayo abanye abantu.
26 Bathetha nokumkani waseAsiriya, wafumana umyalezo othi: “Abantu owabafudusela kwiidolophu zaseSamariya abayazi indlela yokunqula uThixo wakhona. Ngoko ke ubathumelele iingonyama ezibabulalayo, kuba kaloku abo bantu abawazi amasiko awafunayo uThixo wakhona.”
27 Ke ukumkani waseAsiriya wanika umyalelo othi: “Thathani omnye kubabingeleli enabathimba eSamariya, niye kumhlalisa khona, ukuze afundise abo bantu indlela anqulwa ngayo uThixo wakhona.”
28 Ngenene ke bathatha omnye kubabingeleli ababethinjwe eSamariya, baya kumhlalisa eBhetele, wabafundisa ke abo bantu indlela anqulwa ngayo uNdikhoyo.
29 Naxa kunjalo kwezo dolophu uhlanga ngalunye kwezo dolophu zazikuzo ezo ntlanga lwazenzela oothixo balo, lwabamisa kwezo ndawo ziphakamileyo zonqulo zazenziwe ngabantu baseSamariya.
30 Ababevela eBhabheli bazenzela uSukoti-bhenoti, ababevela eKuta bazenzela uNergale, ababevela eHamati bazenzela uAshima,
31 ama-Avi wona azenzela uNibhasi noTartake; ke wona amaSefarvayim ayefaka abantwana bawo emlilweni, esenzela oothixo bawo uAdrameleki noAnameleki amadini.
32 Babemnqula yena uNdikhoyo, kodwa kananjalo bamisela abantu babo ukuze babe ngababingeleli kwiindawo zonqulo eziphakamileyo.
33 Bamnqula uNdikhoyo, kodwa ngokunjalo babanqula noothixo babo, ngokwamasiko ezo ntlanga babephuma kuzo.
34 Unanamhla abakalumleki kuloo mikhwa yabo yemveli. UNdikhoyo abamnquli nokumnqula, bengabambeleli nakwizimiso nemiyalelo, imithetho nemiqathango, uNdikhoyo awayinikela isizukulwana sikaYakobi, lowo wambiza ngokuba nguSirayeli.
35 Ngokuya uNdikhoyo wayesenza umnqophiso namaSirayeli wayalela wathi: “Ze ningabanquli abanye oothixo; ze ningaguqi nibakhahlele, ningabakhonzi, ningabenzeli namadini.
36 Eniya kunqula yena nguNdikhoyo, yena wanikhululayo kwelaseJiputa ngaloo mandla obungangamsha bakhe angoyiswa nto. Nguye enifanele ukuguqa kuye, nimenzele amadini.
37 Ze nizithobele ngenyameko izimiso nemiyalelo yakhe, imithetho nemiqathango awanibhalela yona. Ze ninganquli thixo bambi ngaphandle kwakhe.
38 Umnqophiso endawenza kunye nani ze ningawulibali, ninganquli thixo bambi.
39 Kuphela nqulani uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, kuba nguye yedwa oya kunihlangula kuzo zonke iintshaba zenu.”
40 Kambe ke zange baphulaphule, koko bayiqhubela phambili imikhwa yabo yemveli.
41 Aba bantu babesithi bemnqula nje uNdikhoyo, kodwa babe beyinqula nemifanekiso yabo eqingqiweyo. Unanamhla ke abantwana babo, nditsho nesizukulwana, basathene nca nezo ndlela zooyise-mkhulu.