1 Amakhosi
12:1 URehobowamu waya eShekemi, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli wayesefikile eShekemi
ambeke inkosi.
12:2 Kwathi lapho uJerobowamu, indodana kaNebati, owayesephakathi
IGibhithe lakuzwa, (ngokuba wayebalekele ubuso benkosi uSolomoni,
uJerobowamu wahlala eGibithe;)
12:3 ukuthi bathumela futhi bambiza. noJerobowamu nalo lonke ibandla lase-Israyeli
U-Israyeli wafika, wakhuluma kuRehobowamu, wathi:
12:4 Uyihlo walenza laba lukhuni ijoka lethu;
inkonzo kayihlo, nejoka lakhe elinzima alibeka phezu kwethu, libe lula;
futhi sizokukhonza.
12:5 Wathi kubo: "Hambani futhi izinsuku ezintathu, bese nibuyela kimi."
Bahamba-ke abantu.
12:6 Inkosi uRehobowamu yabonisana namadoda amadala, ababemi phambi kukaSolomoni
uyise esaphila, wathi: "Nicebisani ukuba ngikhulume."
phendula laba bantu?
12:7 Base bekhuluma kuye, bathi: "Uma uthanda ukuba yisigqila salokhu."
abantu namuhla, ngibakhonze, ngibaphendule, bakhulume okuhle
amazwi kubo, khona-ke bayakuba yizinceku zakho kuze kube phakade.
12:8 Kodwa wasishiya iseluleko amadoda amadala, ababemnike yona, futhi
wabonisana nezinsizwa ayekhula nazo, futhi yiziphi
wema phambi kwakhe.
12:9 Wathi kubo, Iseluleko bani enisinika ukuze siphendule lokhu?
abantu abakhulume kimi, bethi: Yenza ijoka uyihlo
wabeka phezu kwethu okulula?
12:10 Futhi izinsizwa ayezikhulele kuye zakhuluma kuye, wathi.
Uzakutsho njalo kulababantu abakhulume kuwe besithi: Ngowakho
Ubaba wenza ijoka lethu laba nzima, kodwa wena yenza libe lula kithi; kanjalo
uthi kubo: ‘Ucikicane wami uyakuba mkhulu kunokababa
okhalweni.
12:11 Futhi manje njengoba ubaba wanithwesa ijoka elinzima, mina ngizonezela
ijoka lenu: ubaba unishaye ngeziswebhu, kepha mina ngiyakujezisa
nawe nawofezela.
12:12 Ngakho uJerobowamu nabo bonke abantu beza kuRehobowamu ngosuku lwesithathu, njengoba nje uJehova
inkosi yayimisile, yathi: "Buyelani kimi ngosuku lwesithathu."
12:13 Inkosi yabaphendula kalukhuni abantu, yashiya okwamadoda amadala
iseluleko abamnika sona;
12:14 Wakhuluma kubo ngokweseluleko sezinsizwa, wathi: "Baba!"
nenza ijoka lenu laba nzima, mina-ke ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu;
lanishaya ngeziswebhu, kepha mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.
12:15 Ngakho inkosi ayibalalelanga abantu; ngoba imbangela yayivela
uJehova, ukuze agcwalise izwi lakhe uJehova alikhulumayo
u-Ahiya waseShilo kuJerobowamu indodana kaNebati.
12:16 Kwathi wonke u-Israyeli ebona ukuthi inkosi ayibalalelanga, abantu
yaphendula inkosi, yathi: “Sinasabelo sini kuDavide na? kakunjalo
siyakudla ilifa endodaneni kaJese; eya emathenteni akho, Israyeli; khangela manje
indlu yakho, Davide. Wayesesuka u-Israyeli, waya ematendeni abo.
12:17 Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababehlala emizini yakwaJuda,
uRehobowamu waba yinkosi phezu kwabo.
12:18 Inkosi uRehobowamu yathuma u-Adoramu, owayephethe abakhokhiswa intela; no-Israyeli wonke
bamkhanda ngamatshe, wafa. Ngakho inkosi uRehobowamu yashesha
ukuze akhwele enqoleni yakhe, abalekele eJerusalema.
12:19 Ngakho u-Israyeli wayihlubuka indlu kaDavide kuze kube yilolu suku.
12:20 Kwathi lapho u-Israyeli wonke ezwa ukuthi uJerobowamu ubuyile.
bathuma bambizela ebandleni, bambeka inkosi
phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; akubangakho owalandela indlu kaDavide, kodwa
isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.
12:21 Futhi lapho uRehobowamu esefikile eJerusalema, wabutha yonke indlu ka
uJuda, nesizwe sakwaBenjamini, ikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili lamawaka
amadoda akhethiweyo, amaqhawe, ukuba alwe nendlu ka-Israyeli;
ukubuyisela umbuso kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni.
12:22 Kepha izwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu, lathi:
12:23 Khuluma kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuzo zonke izizwe.
endlini yakwaJuda nakwaBenjamini nakuyo insali yabantu, ethi:
12:24 Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: "Ningakhuphuki, noma nilwe nabafowenu
abantwana bakwa-Israyeli: buyelani, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe; ngoba le nto
kusuka kimi. Balilalela-ke izwi likaJehova, babuya
ukuhamba ngokwezwi likaJehova.
12:25 UJerobowamu wakha iShekemi ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, wahlala kulo. futhi
waphuma lapho, wakha iPhenuweli.
12:26 Wathi uJerobowamu enhliziyweni yakhe: "Manje umbuso uzobuyela kuJehova
indlu kaDavide:
12:27 Uma laba bantu bekhuphuka ukuyokwenza umhlatshelo endlini kaJehova
Jerusalema, khona-ke inhliziyo yalaba bantu iyobuyela kweyabo
nkosi, kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda, futhi bayakungibulala, bahambe
futhi kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda.
12:28 Khona-ke inkosi yacebisana, futhi wenza amathole amabili egolide, futhi wathi
wathi kubo: Kunzima kini ukukhuphukela eJerusalema;
onkulunkulu, Israyeli, owakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe.
12:29 Futhi wabeka enye eBethel, futhi enye wayibeka kwaDani.
12:30 Le nto yaba yisono, ngokuba abantu bahamba ukukhuleka phambi kukaJehova
eyodwa, kwaze kwaba kwaDani.
12:31 Futhi wenza indlu yezindawo eziphakemeyo, futhi wenza abapristi endaweni ephansi kunazo zonke
abantu, ababengebona abantwana bakwaLevi.
12:32 UJerobowamu wamisa umkhosi ngenyanga yesishiyagalombili, ngosuku lweshumi nanhlanu.
wenyanga njengomkhosi wakwaJuda, wanikela khona
i-altare. Wenza njalo eBhetheli, ehlabela amathole ayelawo
wabeka eBethele abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo abezenza
wayenza.
12:33 Ngakho, wanikela phezu kwe-altare ayelenzile eBethele eleshumi nanhlanu
usuku lwenyanga yesishiyagalombili, ngenyanga abeyinqumile eyakhe
inhliziyo yakho; wabenzela umkhosi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli;
wanikela e-altare, washisa impepho.