Yokuthoma YamaKhosi
12 URerhobhowamu watjhinga eTjhekemu ngombana woke ama-Israyeli bekeze eTjhekemu+ bona azombeka ukuthi abe yikosi.+ 2 Msinyana uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebathi nakezwa ngalokho (bekasese seGibhide begodu ahlala khona ngombana wabalekela iKosi uSolomoni),+ 3 kwathunyelwa bona abizwe. Ngemva kwalokho, uJerobhowamu nalo loke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli baya kuRerhobhowamu bathi: 4 “Uyihlo wasithwesa ijogi elibudisi.+ Kodwana wena nawungenza umsebenzi kayihlo obudisi lo ube bulula, wehlise nobudisi bejogi* asithwese lona, sizokusebenzela.”
5 Wathi kibo: “Khambani, nibuye ngemva kwamalanga amathathu.” Nje-ke abantu bakhamba.+ 6 Ngemva kwalokho, iKosi uRerhobhowamu yabuza amadoda amadala ebewasebenzela uyise uSolomoni nakasaphilako, yathi: “Ningangiluleka nithini bona ngiphendule abantwaba?” 7 Amphendula athi: “Nawungaba sisebenzi sabantwaba namhlanjesi, uvumele isibawo sabo, ubanikele nependulo abayifunako, bazokuhlala baziinsebenzi zakho.”
8 Kodwana akhenge alalele iseluleko samadoda amadala, wabuza amasokana akhule nawo esele aziinsebenzi zakhe.+ 9 Wawabuza wathi: “Ningangiluleka nithini bona siphendule abantu abathe kimi, ‘Lenze libe bulula ijogi uyihlo asithwese lona’?” 10 Amasokana akhule nawo athi kuye: “Nakhu okufuze ukutjho ebantwini abathe kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wenze ijogi lethu laba budisi kodwana wena kufuze usenzele lona libe bulula’; yeke kufuze uthi kibo, ‘Utsetserwanami uzokuba mabhombo ukudlula iinyonga zakababa. 11 Ubaba wanithwesa ijogi elibudisi kodwana mina ngizokungezelela ejogini lenu. Ubaba wanijezisa ngeembebhu kodwana mina ngizonijezisa ngeembebhu ezineempente ezihlabako.’”
12 UJerobhowamu nabo boke abantu beza kuRerhobhowamu ngelanga lesithathu njengombana ikosi beyithe: “Buyani kimi ngelanga lesithathu.”+ 13 Kodwana ikosi yaphendula abantu ngokubakgharameja, akhenge ilalele iseluleko samadoda amadala. 14 Yakhuluma nabo ngokuvumelana neseluleko samasokana, yathi: “Ubaba wenze ijogi lenu laba budisi kodwana mina ngizokungezelela ejogini lenu. Ubaba wanijezisa ngeembebhu kodwana mina ngizonijezisa ngeembebhu ezineempente ezihlabako.” 15 Yeke ikosi akhenge ibalalele abantu ngombana izenzakalwezi zabangelwa nguJehova,+ bona kuzaliseke ilizwi uJehova alikhuluma ngo-Arhiya+ weTjhilo kuJerobhowamu indodana kaNebathi.
16 Kwathi ama-Israyeli woke nawabona ukuthi ikosi ibhalile ukuwalalela, aphendula ikosi athi: “Sihlangane ngani noDavida? Asinalifa endodaneni kaJese. Tjhinga kibozimu bakho Israyeli. Uzazibona wena ndlu kaDavida!” Ngalokho ama-Israyeli abuyela eendlini zawo.+ 17 Kodwana uRerhobhowamu waraga nokubusa ama-Israyeli ahlala emadorobheni wakwaJuda.+
18 Ngemva kwalokho, iKosi uRerhobhowamu yathumela u-Adoniramu,+ obekamphathi walabo abakatelelwe bona basebenzele ikosi kodwana woke u-Israyeli wamkghadlha ngamatje bewafa. IKosi uRerhobhowamu yakghona ukukhwela ekaranenayo yabalekela eJerusalema.+ 19 Yeke ama-Israyeli bewasolo aphikisana+ nendlu kaDavida bekube namhlanjesi.
20 Msinyana ngemva kobana u-Israyeli ezwe bona uJerobhowamu ubuyile, wambizela emhlanganweni begodu wamenza ikosi phezu kwaka-Israyeli woke.+ Abekho abantu abalandela indlu kaDavida ngaphandle kwekoro kaJuda.+
21 Msinyana uRerhobhowamu nakafika eJerusalema, wabuthelela yoke indlu kaJuda nekoro kaBhenjamini, iingorho ezibanduliweko* ezizii-180 000 bona ziyokulwa nendlu ka-Israyeli ukuze zibuyisele ubukhosi kuRerhobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni.+ 22 Ngemva kwalokho, ilizwi lakaZimu weqiniso lafika kuTjhemaya+ umuntu kaZimu weqiniso, lathi: 23 “Tjela uRerhobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni ikosi yakwaJuda nayo yoke indlu kaJuda nekaBhenjamini nabo boke abantu, 24 ‘Ngilokhu uJehova akutjhoko: “Ningakhuphuki niyokulwa nama-Israyeli abafowenu. Ngamunye wenu akabuyele endlinakhe ngombana ngimi obangele bona lokhu kwenzeke.”’”+ Yeke balilalela ilizwi lakaJehova babuyela emakhaya njengombana uJehova abatjelile.
25 UJerobhowamu wavuselela* iTjhekemu+ esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu begodu wahlala lapho. Kusuka lapho waphuma wayokuvuselela* iPhenuweli.+ 26 UJerobhowamu wathi ehliziywenakhe: “Umbuso ungahle ubuyele endlini kaDavida.+ 27 Abantwaba nabangaraga nokukhuphuka bayokwenza imihlatjelo endlini kaJehova eJerusalema,+ iinhliziyo zabo zizokubuyela ekosinabo, uRerhobhowamu iKosi yakwaJuda. Nakanjani bazongibulala, babuyele kuRerhobhowamu iKosi yakwaJuda.” 28 Ngemva kokubuza, ikosi yenza amathole+ amabili wegolide yathi ebantwini: “Kubudisi ngani ukunyukela eJerusalema. Nangu uZimenu, owanikhupha enarheni yeGibhide, Israyeli.”+ 29 Yabeka elinye eBhetheli,+ elinye yalibeka kwaDani.+ 30 Lokhu kwababangela ukuthi bone+ begodu abanye bakhamba bebayokufika kwaDani bonyana bayokulotjha lelo elilapho.
31 Wenza izindlu zokulotjha eendaweni eziphakemeko wabeka abaphristi abakhetha ebantwini abangasimaLevi.+ 32 UJerobhowamu wenza nomnyanya ngenyanga yobunane, ngomhlaka-15 wenyanga leyo njengomnyanya wakwaJuda.+ E-aldareni alenze eBhetheli,+ wenzela amathole awenzileko umhlatjelo begodu eBhetheli wabela abaphristi eendaweni eziphakemeko azenzileko. 33 Wenza neminikelo e-aldareni alenze eBhetheli ngomhlaka-15 enyangeni yobunane, enyangeni azikhethele yona; wenzela abantu bakwa-Israyeli umnyanya, wakhwela e-aldareni bona enze iminikelo nemihlatjelo ithunye.