Incwadzi Yekucala YemaKhosi
12 Rehobhowamu waya eShekhemu ngoba onkhe ema-Israyeli aya eShekhemu+ ayombeka kutsi abe yinkhosi.+ 2 Ngekushesha nje Jerobowamu indvodzana yaNebati nakakuva loku (abesolo aseGibhithe ngobe abebalekele iNkhosi Solomoni futsi ahlala eGibhithe),+ 3 batfumela kutsi ayolandvwa. Ngemuva kwaloko, Jerobowamu kanye naso sonkhe sive saka-Israyeli, baya kuRehobhowamu bafike batsi: 4 “Babe wakho wasetfwesa lijoka lelimatima.+ Kodvwa nangabe wena ungenta kutsi lomsebenti lomatima lebekasentisa wona ube melula, bese ulenta libe lula lelijoka lelimatima* labekasetfwese lona, tsine sitawuba ngakuwe.”
5 Rehobhowamu wabaphendvula watsi: “Hambani, nibuye ngemuva kwemalanga lamatsatfu.” Labantfu babese bayahamba.+ 6 INkhosi Rehobhowamu yabese iyokhuluma nemadvodza lamadzala* labekasebentela babe wayo Solomoni nakasaphila, yefike yatsi: “Ningangeluleka nitsi ngingabaphendvula ngitsini labantfu?” 7 Ayiphendvula atsi: “Nangabe lamuhla wena ungaba yinceku yalabantfu futsi ukwente loko labakucelako, ubanike imphendvulo labatayitsandza, batawuhlale batinceku takho.”
8 Nobe kunjalo, Rehobhowamu akasitsatsanga seluleko lasiniketwa ngulamadvodza lamadzala* futsi wafuna seluleko emajaheni lakhula nawo, lebesekatinceku takhe.+ 9 Wabuta lamajaha watsi: “Ngusiphi seluleko leninganginika sona ngendlela lesingaphendvula ngayo labantfu labatse kimi, ‘Yenta lelijoka lesaletfweswa ngubabe wakho libe melula’?” 10 Lamajaha lebekakhule naye amphendvula atsi: “Naku lokufanele ukusho kulabantfu labatse kuwe, ‘Babe wakho wasetfwesa lijoka lelimatima kodvwa wena kufanele ulente libe lula’; naku lokufanele ubatjele kona, ‘Mine ngitanishubisela kakhulu kwendlula babe.* 11 Babe wanetfwesa lijoka lelimatima, kodvwa mine ngitalenta libe matima kakhulu. Babe bekanijezisa ngesiswebhu, kodvwa mine ngitanibhambabula ngesiswebhu lesinetintfo leticijile.’”
12 Jerobowamu kanye nabo bonkhe bantfu beta kuRehobhowamu ngelilanga lesitsatfu njengobe lenkhosi beyitsite: “Nibobuya kimi ngelilanga lesitsatfu.”+ 13 Kodvwa lenkhosi yabaphendvula ngelunya labantfu, ayizange isitsatse leseluleko leyasinikwa ngemadvodza lamadzala.* 14 Yabaphendvula isebentisa seluleko lesitsetse kulamajaha, yatsi: “Babe wanetfwesa lijoka lelimatima, kodvwa mine ngitalenta libe matima kakhulu. Babe bekanijezisa ngesiswebhu, kodvwa mine ngitanibhambabula ngesiswebhu lesinetintfo leticijile.” 15 Ngako lenkhosi ayizange ibalalele labantfu, ngobe nguJehova+ lowabangela loko kuze kufezeke livi Jehova labelikhulume kuJerobowamu indvodzana yaNebati asebentisa umphrofethi Ahiya+ waseShilo.
16 Ngesikhatsi onkhe ema-Israyeli abona kutsi inkhosi yalile kuwalalela, ayiphendvula atsi: “Sinasabelo sini tsine kuDavide? Site lifa endvodzaneni yaJese. Buyelani kubonkulunkulu benu, nine ma-Israyeli. Nyalo naka indlu yakho wena Davide!” Ngaleyo ndlela ema-Israyeli abuyela emakhaya*+ awo. 17 Kodvwa Rehobhowamu wachubeka nekubusa ema-Israyeli labekahlala emadolobheni akaJuda.+
18 INkhosi Rehobhowamu yabese itfuma Adoramu,+ lobekayindvuna yalabo lebebasebentela inkhosi, kodvwa onkhe ema-Israyeli amgcoba ngematje waze wafa. INkhosi Rehobhowamu yona yakhona kugibela inkalishi yayo yabalekela eJerusalema.+ 19 Kuze kube ngulamuhla, ema-Israyeli solo avukela+ indlu yaDavide.
20 Ngekushesha nje onkhe ema-Israyeli nakeva kutsi Jerobowamu sewubuyile, ambitela emhlanganweni ase amenta inkhosi yawo onkhe ema-Israyeli.+ Kute kulabantfu lowalandzela indlu yaDavide ngaphandle kwesive sakaJuda.+
21 Rehobhowamu watsi nakefika eJerusalema, wahlanganisa yonkhe indlu yakaJuda kanye nesive sakaBhenjamini ngekushesha. Bekungemasotja laceceshiwe* langu-180 000 labekalungele kulwa nendlu yaka-Israyeli kute kubuyiselwe bukhosi kuRehobhowamu indvodzana yaSolomoni.+ 22 Kwase kufika livi laNkulunkulu weliciniso kuShemaya+ inceku yaNkulunkulu weliciniso, latsi: 23 “Tjela Rehobhowamu indvodzana yaSolomoni inkhosi yakaJuda, nayo yonkhe indlu yakaJuda, neyakaBhenjamini kanye nabo bonkhe labantfu utsi, 24 ‘Naku lokushiwo nguJehova: “Ningakhuphuki niyokulwa nabomnakenu ema-Israyeli. Nguloyo naloyo akabuyele ekhaya lakhe ngoba ngimi lobangele loku.”’”+ Ngako balilalela livi laJehova futsi babuyela emakhaya njengoba Jehova bekabayalile.
25 Jerobowamu wabese ucinisa iShekhemu+ esifundzeni lesinetintsaba saka-Efrayimu futsi wahlala lapho. Nakasuka lapho, waphuma wayocinisa iPhenuweli.+ 26 Jerobowamu watsi enhlitiyweni yakhe: “Nyalo umbuso sewutawubuyela endlini yaDavide.+ 27 Nangabe labantfu bachubeka nekukhuphuka bayokwenta imihlatjelo endlini yaJehova eJerusalema,+ tinhlitiyo tabo titawubuyela enkhosini yabo, iNkhosi Rehobhowamu yakaJuda. Noma kanjani batangibulala futsi babuyele eNkhosini Rehobhowamu yakaJuda.” 28 Ngemuva kwekubonisana nalabanye bantfu, inkhosi yenta ematfole+ lamabili eligolide yase itsi kulabantfu: “Kuyintfo lematima kini kukhuphukela eJerusalema. NanguNkulunkulu wenu nine ma-Israyeli lowanikhipha eveni laseGibhithe.”+ 29 Wabese ubeka linye eBetheli,+ wabeka lelinye kaDani.+ 30 Loko kwababangela kutsi bone+ futsi labantfu bahamba baze bayofika kaDani kuze bayokhonta lelitfole leligolide lebelilapho.
31 Wakha netindlu tekukhontela etindzaweni letiphakeme waphindze wakhetsa nebaphristi kubantfu labavamile lebebangasiwo emaLevi.+ 32 Jerobowamu waphindze wacalisa umkhosi lofanana nemkhosi wakaJuda,+ ngenyanga yesi-8 ngelilanga lesi-15 laleyo nyanga. Wanikela imihlatjelo kulamatfole e-al’thare lebekalente eBetheli,+ futsi khona lapho wanika baphristi imisebenti kuletindzawo letiphakeme lebekatentile. 33 Wacala kwenta iminikelo kuleli-al’thare lebekalente eBetheli ngelilanga lesi-15 lenyanga yesi-8, inyanga laticambela yona futsi wacalisa umkhosi webantfu baka-Israyeli, wase uphakamisa leli-al’thare kuze ente iminikelo nemihlatjelo yekushiswa.