1 Kings 12

Abantwana bakoIsrayeli bavukela indlu kaDavida

1URehobhowamu ^a wasesiya eShekema ^b ngoba uIsrayeli wonke wayefike eShekema ukumbeka abe yinkosi. 2Kwasekusithi uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati ^c, owayelokhu eseGibhithe ^d, ekuzwa lokhu (ngoba wayebaleke esuka phambi kukaSolomoni inkosi, uJerobhowamu wahlala eGibhithe), 3bathuma bambiza. UJerobhowamu lebandla lonke lakoIsrayeli basebesiza bakhuluma loRehobhowamu besithi: 4Uyihlo wenza ijogwe lethu laba lukhuni; ngakho-ke wena yenza kube lula umsebenzi olukhuni kayihlo, lejogwe lakhe elinzima abesithwalise lona, njalo sizakukhonza ^e. 5Wasesithi kibo: Hambani futhi okwensuku ezintathu, libe selibuya kimi. Basebehamba abantu.

6Inkosi uRehobhowamu yasicebisana labadala ababesima phambi kukaSolomoni uyise esaphila, isithi: Licebisa njani ukubuyisela impendulo kulababantu ^f? 7Basebekhuluma kuyo besithi: Uba uzakuba yinceku yalababantu lamuhla ubasebenzele, ubaphendule, ukhulume kibo amazwi amahle, khona bezakuba zinceku zakho zonke izinsuku ^g. 8Kodwa wasitshiya iseluleko sabadala ababemeluleke ngaso, wacebisana lamajaha ayeyintanga yakhe, ayemi phambi kwakhe ^h. 9Wasesithi kuwo: Lipha seluleko bani ukuthi sibuyisele impendulo kulababantu abakhulume lami besithi: Yenza libe lulanyana ijogwe uyihlo alibeka phezu kwethu? 10Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe asekhuluma kuye esithi: Uzakutsho njalo kulababantu abakhuluma kuwe besithi: Uyihlo wenza ijogwe lethu laba nzima, kodwa wena yenza libe lulanyana kithi; uzakutsho njalo kibo: Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa. 11Uba-ke ubaba walethwesa ijogwe elinzima, mina-ke ngizakwengezelela ejogweni lenu. Ubaba walijezisa ngeziswepu ⁱ, kodwa mina ngizalijezisa ngabofezela ^j.

12Ngakho uJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu beza kuRehobhowamu ngosuku lwesithathu njengokutsho kwenkosi isithi: Libuye kimi futhi ngosuku lwesithathu ^k. 13Inkosi yasibaphendula abantu kalukhuni, yatshiya iseluleko sabadala ababeyeluleke ngaso. 14Yakhuluma kubo njengokweseluleko samajaha isithi: Ubaba wenza ijogwe lenu laba nzima, kodwa mina ngizakwengezelela ejogweni lenu; ubaba walijezisa ngeziswepu, kodwa mina ngizalijezisa ngabofezela ^l. 15Ngalokho inkosi kayibalalelanga abantu; ngoba inguquko yayivela eNkosini ukuze iqinise ilizwi layo ^m, iNkosi eyayilikhulume ngesandla sikaAhiya umShilo kuJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati ⁿ.

16Lapho uIsrayeli wonke ebona ukuthi inkosi kayibalalelanga, abantu babuyisela impendulo enkosini besithi: Silesabelo bani kuDavida? Yebo, kasilalifa endodaneni kaJese ^o. Emathenteni akho, Israyeli! Khathesi, zibonele indlu yakho, Davida ^p. Ngakho uIsrayeli waya emathenteni akhe. 17Mayelana labantwana bakoIsrayeli ababehlala emizini yakoJuda, uRehobhowamu wabusa phezu kwabo ^q.

18Khona inkosi uRehobhowamu yathuma uAdoniramu ^r owayephezu kwezibhalwa; uIsrayeli wonke wasemkhanda ngamatshe waze wafa. Ngakho inkosi uRehobhowamu yakhwela masinyane inqola yayo, ukubalekela eJerusalema. 19Ngokunjalo uIsrayeli wayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla ^s. 20Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli wonke esezwile ukuthi uJerobhowamu ubuyile, bathuma bambizela enhlanganweni, bamenza inkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli wonke; kakubanga khona olandela indlu kaDavida ngaphandle kwesizwe sakoJuda sodwa ^t.

21Kwathi uRehobhowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabuthanisa yonke indlu yakoJuda lesizwe sakoBhenjamini, abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, abalwa impi, ukulwa lendlu yakoIsrayeli, ukubuyisela umbuso kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni. 22Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuShemaya ^u umuntu kaNkulunkulu ^v lisithi: 23Khuluma kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakoJuda, lakuyo yonke indlu yakoJuda leyakoBhenjamini, lensali yabantu, uthi: 24Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lingenyuki njalo lingalwi labafowenu, abantwana bakoIsrayeli. Buyelani, ngulowo lalowo endlini yakhe; ngoba linto ivela kimi. Basebelilalela ilizwi leNkosi, babuyela ukuhamba, njengokwelizwi leNkosi ^w.

UJerobhowamu uduhisa abantwana bakoIsrayeli

25UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekema ^x entabeni yakoEfrayimi ^y, wahlala kuyo; wasephuma lapho wakha iPenuweli ^z. 26UJerobhowamu wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Khathesi umbuso uzabuyela endlini kaDavida. 27Uba lesisizwe sisenyukela ukwenza imihlatshelo endlini yeNkosi eJerusalema, khona inhliziyo yalesisizwe izabuyela enkosini yabo, kuRehobhowamu inkosi yakoJuda, njalo bazangibulala babuyele kuRehobhowamu inkosi yakoJuda ^aa. 28Ngakho inkosi yathatha icebo, yenza amathole amabili egolide ^ab, yathi kubo: Kunzima kakhulu kini ukwenyukela eJerusalema; khangela, onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula elizweni leGibhithe ^ac. 29Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli ^ad, lelinye walifaka eDani ^ae. 30Loludaba lwaselusiba yisono ^af; ngoba abantu baya phambi kwelinye ^ag kuze kube seDani ^ah ukuyakhonza. 31Wasesenza indlu yezindawo eziphakemeyo ^ai, wenza abapristi ngabaphansi kakhulu babantu, ababengeyisiwo bamadodana amaLevi ^aj. 32UJerobhowamu wasesenza umkhosi ngenyanga yesificaminwembili ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga njengomkhosi owawukoJuda ^ak, wanikela phezu kwelathi. Wenza njalo eBhetheli, ehlabela amathole ayewenzile. Wabeka eBhetheli abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ayezenzile ^al. 33Wasenikela phezu kwelathi ayelenzile eBhetheli ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu enyangeni yesificaminwembili, enyangeni ayeyiqambile evela enhliziyweni yakhe. Wenzela abantwana bakoIsrayeli umkhosi, wanikela phezu kwelathi etshisa impepha ^am.