1 Ngomnyaka weshumi nambili ka-Ahazi inkosi yakwaJuda uHosheya indodana ka-Ela waba yinkosi eSamariya kwa-Israyeli, wabusa iminyaka eyisihiyagalolunye.
2 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, nokho kungenjengamakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayephambi kwakhe.
3 Kwenyuka ukulwa naye uShalimaneseri inkosi yase-Asiriya; uHosheya waba yisikhonzi sakhe, wathela intela kuye.
4 Inkosi 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.
5 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisenyuka, yadabula izwe lonke, yenyukela eSamariya, yalivimbezela iminyaka emithathu.
6 Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaHosheya, inkosi yase-Asiriya yalithatha iSamariya, yathumbela u-Israyeli e-Asiriya, yababeka eHala, naseHabori ngasemfuleni waseGozani, nasemizini yamaMede.
7 Kwaba njalo, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, besaba abanye onkulunkulu,
8 bahamba ngezimiso zabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nezamakhosi akwa-Israyeli azenzileyo.
9 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli benza ngasese izinto ezingalungile kuJehova uNkulunkulu, bazakhela izindawo eziphakemeyo emizini yabo yonke ngasemibhoshongweni yabalindi nasemizini ebiyelweyo.
10 Bazimisela izinsika nawo-Ashera* emagqumeni onke aphakemeyo naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza,
11 bashisa khona impepho ezindaweni zonke eziphakemeyo njengokwenza kwabezizwe uJehova abaxosha phambi kwabo, benza izinto ezimbi ukumcunula uJehova,
12 bakhonza izithombe uJehova ashilo ngazo kubo ukuthi: “Aniyikwenza le nto.”
13 Nokho 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.”
14 Kepha abalalelanga; benza lukhuni intamo yabo njengentamo yawoyise abangakholwanga nguJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.
15 Badelela izimiso zakhe, nesivumelwano sakhe asenzayo nawoyise, nezixwayiso abaxwayisa ngazo, balandela okuyize, benza okuyize, balandela abezizwe ababebazungeza, uJehova abayale ngabo ukuthi abayikwenza njengabo.
16 Bashiya yonke imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bazenzela izithombe ezibunjiweyo, amathole amabili, benza no-Ashera,* bakhuleka kulo lonke ibandla lasezulwini, bakhonza uBali.
17 Badabulisa amadodana abo namadodakazi abo emlilweni, babhula, benza imilingo, bazithengisela ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova ukumcunula.
18 Ngalokho uJehova wathukuthelela u-Israyeli, wabasusa ebusweni bakhe; akusalanga muntu, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.
19 Naye uJuda akagcinanga imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, kepha wahamba ngezimiso zakwa-Israyeli azenzileyo.
20 UJehova wala yonke inzalo ka-Israyeli, wayihlupha, wayinikela esandleni sabaphangi, waze wayilahla ebusweni bakhe.
21 Ngokuba wahlwitha u-Israyeli endlini kaDavide; bambeka uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati inkosi; uJerobowamu wamqubula u-Israyeli ukuba angamlandeli uJehova, wamonisa ngesono esikhulu.
22 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba ezonweni zonke zikaJerobowamu azenzayo, abasukanga kuzo,
23 uJehova 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.
24 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yalanda abantu eBabele, naseKhutha, nase-Ava, naseHamati, naseSefarivayimi, yabahlalisa emizini yaseSamariya esikhundleni sabantwana bakwa-Israyeli; badla iSamariya, bahlala emizini yalo.
25 Kwathi ekuqaleni kokuhlala kwabo khona abamesabanga uJehova; ngalokho uJehova wathuma izingonyama phakathi kwabo, zabulala abanye kubo.
26 Base 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.”
27 Inkosi yase-Asiriya yayisiyala ngokuthi: “Yisani khona omunye wabapristi enibathumbile lapho, ahambe ahlale khona, abafundise umthetho kaNkulunkulu wezwe.”
28 Wayesefika omunye wabapristi ababebathumbile eSamariya, wahlala eBethele, wabafundisa ukumesaba uJehova.
29 Kodwa zonke izizwe zazenzela onkulunkulu bazo, zababeka ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazenziwe ngamaSamariya, kwaba yileso naleso sizwe emizini esasihlezi kuyo.
30 Abantu baseBabele benza uSukoti Benoti, abantu baseKhuti benza uNerigali, abantu baseHamati benza u-Ashima,
31 ama-Avi enza oNibihazi noTharithaki, amaSefarivayimi ashisa abantwana bawo ngomlilo ko-Adirameleki no-Anameleki, onkulunkulu bamaSefarivayimi.
32 Kepha babemkhonza noJehova, bazenzela phakathi kwabo abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ababahlabela ezindlini zezindawo eziphakemeyo.
33 Bamesaba uJehova, bakhonza nawonkulunkulu babo njengomthetho wezizwe ababesuswe phakathi kwazo.
34 Kuze kube namuhla benza njengemithetho yakuqala: abamesabi uJehova, abenzi njengezimiso, nezimemezelo zabo, nomthetho wabo, nemiyalo yabo uJehova ayala ngayo abantwana bakwaJakobe amutha u-Israyeli,
35 uJehova enza nabo isivumelwano, wabayala wathi: “Aniyikwesaba abanye onkulunkulu, ningakhothameli kubo, ningabakhonzi, ningabahlabeli;
36 kepha uJehova owanikhuphula ezweni laseGibithe ngamandla amakhulu nangengalo eyeluliweyo yena niyakumesaba, kuyena niyakukhothamela, nimhlabele yena;
37 izimiso nezimemezelo nomthetho nemiyalo anilobela khona yikho eniyakukugcina ukuba nikwenze; ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu;
38 aniyikukhohlwa isivumelwano engisenzile nani, ningesabi abanye onkulunkulu;
39 kepha niyakwesaba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; yena uyakunophula esandleni sazo zonke izitha zenu.”
40 Nokho abalalelanga, kodwa benza njengemithetho yabo yakuqala.
41 Zesaba-ke lezo zizwe uJehova, kepha zakhonza izithombe zazo ezibaziweyo, kanjalo nabantwana bazo nabantwana babantwana bazo; njengalokho benzile oyise, benze njalo nabo kuze kube namuhla.