Eyesibili EyemiLando
10 URehobhowami waya eShekhemu+ ngoba bonke abako-Israyeli babebuthene khona ukuze bambeke ukuthi abe yinkosi.+ 2 UJerobhowami+ indodana kaNebhathi wathi ekuzwa lokho waphenduka evela eGibhithe. (Ngalesosikhathi wayelokhu eseGibhithe ngoba wayebalekele iNkosi uSolomoni.)+ 3 Ngakho bathumela ilizwi bathi ayebizwa. UJerobhowami labo bonke abako-Israyeli balanda uRehobhowami bafika bathi kuye: 4 “Uyihlo wayesithwalise ijogwe elinzima.+ Kodwa nxa wena ungenza umthwalo esasiwuthwaliswe nguyihlo ube lula futhi usiphungulele umsebenzi onzima ayesinike wona, sizakuba zinceku zakho.”
5 URehobhowami wathi kubo: “Buyelani liphenduke kimi ngemva kwamalanga amathathu.” Ngakho abantu basuka bahamba.+ 6 INkosi uRehobhowami yakhuluma lamadoda amadala ayezinceku zikayise* uSolomoni ngesikhathi esaphila yathi: “Ngicela lingicebise ukuthi ngibaphendule njani abantu laba.” 7 Bamphendula bathi: “Nxa ungaba lomusa ebantwini laba, wenze abakufunayo futhi ubaphe impendulo ezabathokozisa, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
8 Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange alilalele icebo ayeliphiwe ngamadoda amadala.* Wasuka wayakhuluma lamajaha ayekhule lawo ayesezinceku zakhe.+ 9 Wathi kuwo: “Ngicela lingicebise ukuthi singabaphendula njani abantu laba abathi kimi, ‘Yenza umthwalo osindayo esawuthwaliswa nguyihlo ube lula.’” 10 Amajaha ayekhule lawo athi kuye: “Nanku okumele ukutsho ebantwini abathe kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wenza umthwalo wethu waba nzima kodwa wena kumele uwenze ube lula.’ Uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uzakuba qatha ukwedlula ukhalo lukababa. 11 Ubaba walithwalisa umthwalo onzima kodwa mina ngizawenza ube nzima kakhulu. Ubaba wayelitshaya ngemichilo kodwa mina ngizalibhaxabula ngemvubu.’”
12 UJerobhowami labo bonke abantu babuyela kuRehobhowami ngelanga lesithathu, njengoba wayethe baphenduke kuye ngelanga lesithathu.+ 13 Inkosi yaphendula abantu ngamazwi alukhuni, ayizange ilalele lokho amadoda amadala ayeyicebise* khona. 14 Yalandela lokho eyayikucetshiswe ngamajaha eyayikhule lawo, yathi ebantwini: “Ngizangezelela umthwalo wenu ngiwenze ube nzima kakhulu. Ubaba wayelijezisa ngemichilo kodwa mina ngizalibhaxabula ngemvubu.” 15 Inkosi ayizange ibalalele abantu ngoba uNkulunkulu weqiniso+ nguye owayebangele ukuthi konke lokhu kwenzakale, ukuze kugcwaliseke ilizwi uJehova athuma u-Ahija+ waseShilo ukuthi ayelitshela uJerobhowami indodana kaNebhathi.
16 Bonke abako-Israyeli bathi bebona ukuthi inkosi ayifuni ukubalalela, bayiphendula bathi: “Kanti vele silasiphi isabelo kuDavida? Akulalifa esizalithola endodaneni kaJese. Buyelani kubonkulunkulu benu bantu bako-Israyeli. Khathesi zigcinele indlu yakho Davida.”+ Abako-Israyeli bahle babuyela emizini yabo.*+
17 Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebusa ama-Israyeli ayehlala emadolobheni akoJuda.+
18 INkosi uRehobhowami yathuma uHadoramu+ owayekhangela labo ababebuthelwe ukuthi basebenzele inkosi, kodwa abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe wafa. INkosi uRehobhowami yona yagada inqola yayo yabalekela eJerusalema.+ 19 Abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuze kube lamuhla.