Ukuhlukaniswa kobukhosi
1URerhobhowamu waya eTjhekemu ngombana woke ama-Israyeli aya lapho kobana ambeke abe yikosi. 2UJerobhowamu umsa kaNebathi wezwa ngendaba le asese seGibhide lapha abalekela khona uSolomoni. Wahlala eGibhidapho, 3nje-ke kwathunyelwa abantu kuye bonyana abuye.
UJerobhowamu nomkhambathi woke wakwa-Israyeli baya kuRerhobhowamu bafese bathi kuye: 4“Uyihlo gade asithwese ijogi elibudisi. Yeke wena gedlisa umsebenzi obudisi kayihlo lo bewunyefise nejogi asithwese loneli; khona-ke sizakulotjha.”
5URerhobhowamu wathi: “Khambani bese nibuya elangeni lesithathu.”
Awa, yeke abantu bakhamba-ke. 6Ikosi uRerhobhowamu yabonana neengwevu zabaphathi ezazilotjha uyise uSolomoni ngesikhathi sokuphila kwakhe yathi: “Ningangeluleka bonyana ngithini ebantwinapha na?”
7Bathi kiyo: “Nawungakhe ube yinceku ebantwinaba namhlanjesi, ubenzele kuhle bese ubanikela ipendulo ehle, bazakuhlala baziinceku zakho.”
8Kodwana uRerhobhowamu wala iseluleko asinikelwa ziingwevu, wayokubonana neentanga zakhe nebegade sele bamlotjha. 9Wababuza wathi: “Umbono wenu uthini? Singabaphendula njani abantwaba abathi kimi angigedlise ijogi abalithweswe ngubaba na?”
10Iintanga zakhe zamphendula zathi: “Tjela abantu abathe kuwe batjho bafuna ukugedliselwa ijogi elibudisi abalithweswa ngubabakho uthi,
“ ‘Utsetserwanami umabhombo kunedini lakababa.
11Ubaba wanethwesa ijogi elibudisi;
mina-ke ngizalenza libe budisi ukudlula.
Ubaba bekaniritha ngeembebhu;
mina ngizonirhadla ngomrwedla.’ ”
12Elangeni lesithathu uJerobhowamu nabantu boke babuyela ekosini uRerhobhowamu njengombana wayethe: “Yenibuye elangeni lesithathu.” 13Ikosi yalahla iseluleko eyasinikelwa baphathi, yaphendula abantu ngobukhali 14ngombana yalandela iseluleko seentanga zayo yathi:
“Ubaba wenza ijogi lenu laba budisi;
kimapha-ke nizokubhesa.
Ubaba waniritha ngeembebhu;
mina ngizonirhadla ngomrwedla.”
15Yeke ikosi azange ilalele abantu ngombana isenzekwesi sasiyintando kaZimu, ukuzalisa amagama awakhuluma kuJerobhowamu umsa kaNebathi ngo-Arhiya umTjhilo.
16Kuthe lokha woke u-Israyeli nabona bonyana ikosi ayimuphi indlebe, waphendula ikosi wathi:
“Asinasabelo noDavida,
asithintani ndawo nomsa kaJese!
Ayigubhe Israyeli!
Uzazibona ukuqeda wena ndlu kaDavida!”
Yeke ama-Israyeli aphadlhalala, agoduka. 17Kodwana nakuma-Israyeli agade ahlala emadorobheni wakwaJuda wona, uRerhobhowamu wawabusa.
18Ikosi uRerhobhowamu yathumela u-Adoniramu owayegade ayinduna yomsebenzi okatelelako, kodwana woke u-Israyeli wamkhanda ngamatje bewahlongakala. Nokho ikosi uRerhobhowami yakghona ukuphunyurha yakhwela ekaranenayo yabalekela eJerusalema. 19Ngalokho u-Israyeli wathoma ukujamelana nendlu kaDavida bekwaba kunamhlanje.
20Kuthe bona woke u-Israyeli ezwe bonyana uJerobhowamu ubuyile, kwaphuma igama lokobana abizelwe emkhambathini azokubekwa bonyana abe yikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli woke. Yikoro yakwaJuda yodwa eyathembekako endlini kaDavida.
21Lokha uRerhobhowamu nafika eJerusalema, wabutha yoke indlu kaJuda kanye nekoro kaBhenjamini, kwaba ziinhlabani zeenkakaramba ezilikhulu namatjhumi abunane weenkulungwana kobana zilwe nendlu ka-Israyeli nokubuyisa ubukhosi bakaRerhobhowamu umsa kaSolomoni. 22Kodwana kwafika ilizwi lakaZimu kuTjhemaya umuntu kaZimu lathi: 23“Yewuthi kuRerhobhowamu umsa kaSolomoni ikosi yakwaJuda, kiyo yoke indlu kaJuda noBhenjamini, nakibo boke abantu, 24nakhu okwatjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Ningenyuki bona niyokulwa nabafowenu, ama-Israyeli. Godukani, omunye nomunye anqombe kwakhe ngombana lokhu kusisenzo sami.’ ”
Yeke balalela ilizwi lakaSomnini babuyela emakhaya njengombana uSomnini bekabatjelile.
UJerobhowamu wenza iinthombe zegolide
25UJerobhowamu waqinisa iTjhekemu ngembundwini we-Efrayimu bewahlala lapho. Ukusuka lapho waphuma wayokwakha iPenuweli. 26UJerobhowamu wazitjela wathi: “Kwanjesi umbuso ungahle ubuyele endlini kaDavida. 27Nange abantwaba bangalokhu benyuka bayokwenza imihlabelo ethempelini lakaSomnini eJerusalema, iinhliziyo zabo zizakubuyela ekosinabo uRerhobhowamu ikosi yakwaJuda. Bazangibulala bese babuyela kuRerhobhowamu.”
28Ikosi uJerobhowamu yafuna iseluleko, yenza amathole amabili wegolide. Yathi ebantwini: “Sekwanele kwanje bonyana nilokhu nenyukela eJerusalema. Napa musi abozimu bakho, wena Israyeli abakukhupha eGibhide.” 29Elinye lamathole lawo walibeka eBhethe-Eli, elinye walibeka eDani. 30Lokhu kwaba sisono. Abantu bakhamba bebayokufika eDani ukuze balotjhe itholelo lapho.
31UJerobhowamu wakha amathempedlana emibundwini bewabeka nabaphristi abakhethe ebantwini abahlukahlukileko nanyana gade bangasi maLevi. 32Wasungula umnyanya elangeni letjhumi nahlanu lenyanga yobumnane, okumnyanya ofana nowawuphele ubanjwe kwaJuda, wenza imihlabelo e-aldarini. Lokhu wakwenza eBhethe-Eli, wenzela namathole awenzileko imihlatjelo. NeBhethe-Elapho wabeka abaphristi ethempelini alenze emibundwini.
Isigwebo sakaZimu phezu kwe-aldari eBhethe-Eli
33UJerobhowamu wakhwelela e-aldarini alenze eBhethe-Eli. Lokhu wakwenza elangeni letjhumi nahlanu lenyanga yobumnane, okuyinyanga azikhethela yona ehliziywenakhe kobana enzele ama-Israyeli umhlatjelo. UJerobhowamu wakhwelela e-aldarinapho kobana enze umhlabelo.
