Rehoboam's Reign

¹URehobowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabutha indlu yakwaJuda noBenjamini, abantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisihiyagalombili, amabutho, ukuba balwe no-Israyeli, bawubuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu.

²Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu, lathi:

³“Khuluma kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuye wonke u-Israyeli kwaJuda noBenjamini, ngokuthi:

⁴‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Aniyikukhuphuka, ningalwi nabafowenu; buyelani, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe, ngokuba le nto ivela kimi.’ ” Balalela amazwi kaJehova, babuya ekumhlaseleni uJerobowamu.

⁵URehobowamu wahlala eJerusalema, wakha imizi ukuba ibe yizinqaba kwaJuda.

⁶Wakha iBetlehema, ne-Etamu, neThekhowa,

⁷neBeti Suri, neSoko, ne-Adulamu,

⁸neGati, neMaresha, neZifi,

⁹ne-Adorayimi, neLakishi, ne-Azeka,

¹⁰neSora, ne-Ajaloni, neHebroni, ekwaJuda nakwaBenjamini, imizi ebiyelweyo.

¹¹Waziqinisa izinqaba, wabeka izinduna kuzo, nokudla, namafutha, newayini.

¹²Emizini yonke, yileyo naleyo, wabeka izihlangu nemikhonto, wayiqinisa kakhulu impela. ElakwaJuda nelakwaBenjamini lalingelakhe.

¹³Abapristi namaLevi ayekwa-Israyeli wonke bazihlanganisa naye bephuma emikhawulweni yonke.

¹⁴Ngokuba amaLevi ashiya amadlelo awo nefa lawo, aya kwaJuda naseJerusalema, ngokuba uJerobowamu namadodana akhe bawalahla ukuba angabe esaba ngabapristi bakaJehova,

¹⁵wazimisela abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo, nabamademoni, nabamathole awenzileyo.

¹⁶Emva kwabo kwaphuma ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli abanhliziyo zabo zibhekiswe ukufuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wakwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema ukuhlabela uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.

¹⁷Base bewuqinisa-ke umbuso wakwaJuda, benza uRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni waba namandla iminyaka emithathu, ngokuba bahamba iminyaka emithathu endleleni kaDavide noSolomoni.

¹⁸URehobowamu wazithathela umfazi, uMahalati, indodakazi kaJerimoti indodana kaDavide neka-Abihayili, indodakazi ka-Eliyabe, indodana kaJese.

¹⁹Wamzalela amadodana: ngoJewushe, noShemariya, noZahamu.

²⁰Emva kwakhe wathatha uMahakha, indodakazi ka-Abisalomu; wamzalela o-Abiya, no-Athayi, noZiza, noShelomiti.

²¹URehobowamu wamthanda uMahakha indodakazi ka-Abisalomu phezu kwabo bonke abafazi bakhe nezancinza zakhe, ngokuba wathatha abafazi abayishumi nesishiyagalombili nezancinza ezingamashumi ayisithupha, wazala amadodana angamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili namadodakazi angamashumi ayisithupha.

²²URehobowamu wabeka u-Abiya, indodana kaMahakha, abe yinhloko, abe ngumbusi phakathi kwabafowabo, ngokuba wacabanga ukumbeka inkosi.

²³Wenza ngokuhlakanipha, wahlakaza onke amadodana akhe emazweni onke akwaJuda noBenjamini, emizini yonke ebiyelweyo, wawanika ukudla okuningi, wawafunela abafazi abaningi.