IZIKRONIKE II 13

₁Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJerobowamu uAbiya waba-yinkosi kwaJuda.

₂Wabusa iminyaka emithathu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguMikhaya indodakazi kaUriyeli waseGibeya. Kwakukhona ukulwa phakathi kuka-Abiya noJerobowamu.

₃UAbiya waqala ukulwa enempi yamaqhawe anamandla, abantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, kepha uJerobowamu wahlela ukulwa naye enabantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili, bengamaqhawe anamandla.

₄UAbiya wema entabeni yaseSemarayimi esezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi, wathi: Ngizweni wena-Jerobowamu noIsrayeli wonke:

₅bekunganifanele ukwazi yini ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli wanika uDavide umbuso kwaIsrayeli kuze kube-phakade, yena namadodana akhe, ngesivumelwano sikasawoti, na?

₆Nokho uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati, inceku kaSolomoni indodana kaDavide, wavuka, wahlubuka inkosi yakhe.

₇Kwabuthana kuye amayiyane, abantu ababi, aziqinisa ukulwa noRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni, uRehobowamu esemusha, inhliziyo isathambile, engenakumelana nawo.

₈Manje nithi niyakumelana nobukhosi bukaJehova obusesandleni samadodana kaDavide, lokhu niyisixuku esikhulu, futhi kukhona amathole egolide enenzelwa wona nguJerobowamu ukuba abe-ngonkulunkulu benu.

₉Anixoshanga yini abapristi bakaJehova, amadodana ka-Aroni namaLevi, nazenzela abapristi ngendlela yabantu bezizwe; bonke abafika ukwahlukaniselwa, bephethe iduna nezinqama eziyisikhombisa, bangaba-ngabapristi babangesibo onkulunkulu.

₁₀Kepha thina, uJehova unguNkulunkulu wethu; asimshiyanga; sinabapristi abamkhonzayo uJehova, amadodana ka-Aroni namaLevi emisebenzini yabo;

₁₁bamshisela uJehova iminikelo yokushiswa nempepho ethaphukayo ekuseni nakusihlwa njalo, basihlela isinkwa sokubukwa etafuleni elihlanzekileyo, bokhela uthi lwezibani lwegolide nezibani zalo kusihlwa njalo, ngokuba thina sigcina imfanelo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, kepha nina nimshiyile.

₁₂Futhi bhekani, uNkulunkulu unathi, uyinhloko yethu, kanye nabapristi abaphethe amacilongo okuhlaba umkhosi ukuba bawakhalise ngani; bantwana bakwaIsrayeli, ningalwi noJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, ngokuba aniyikuphumelela.

₁₃Kepha uJerobowamu wayegwegwesisile abaqamekeli ukuba bafike emuva; babephambi kukaJuda, abaqamekeli babesemva kwabo.

₁₄Lapho uJuda esephenduka, bheka, impi yayingaphambili nangasemva kwabo; bakhala kuJehova, abapristi bakhalisa amacilongo.

₁₅Base bekhamuluka abantu bakwaJuda, nalapho abantwana bakwaJuda bekhamuluka, uNkulunkulu washaya oJerobowamu noIsrayeli wonke phambi kuka-Abiya noJuda.

₁₆Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babaleka ebusweni bukaJuda, uNkulunkulu wabanikela esandleni sabo.

₁₇UAbiya nabantu bakhe babaceka ngokuceka okukhulu; kwawa amadoda akhethiweyo akwaIsrayeli abuleweyo ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu.

₁₈Bathotshiswa-ke ngalesosikhathi abantwana bakwaIsrayeli; kepha abantwana bakwaJuda bahlula, ngokuba babencika kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.

₁₉UAbiya wamxosha uJerobowamu, wamaphuca imizi: iBethele nemizana yalo, neJeshana nemizana yalo, ne-Efroni nemizana yalo.

₂₀Futhi uJerobowamu akabe esabanamandla emihleni ka-Abiya; uJehova wamshaya, wafa.

₂₁Kepha uAbiya waba-namandla, wazithathela abafazi abayishumi nane, wazala amadodana angamashumi amabili nambili namadodakazi ayishumi nesithupha.

₂₂Ezinye izindaba zika-Abiya, nezindlela zakhe, namazwi akhe, kulotshiwe esichasiselweni somprofethi uIdo.