Eyesibili YeziKronike

11 Lapho uRehobowamu efika eJerusalema, ngokushesha wabutha indlu kaJuda noBhenjamini, + amaqhawe aqeqeshiwe* angu-180 000 ukuba alwe no-Israyeli, ukuze abuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu. + 2 Izwi likaJehova lafika kuShemaya + umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, lathi: 3 “Khuluma noRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakwaJuda no-Israyeli wonke kwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini uthi, 4 ‘Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo: “Akumele nikhuphuke niyolwa nabafowenu. Ngamunye wenu makabuyele endlini yakhe ngoba yimi obangele ukuba le nto yenzeke.” ’ ” + Ngakho balilalela izwi likaJehova babuya, bangabe besamelana noJerobowamu.

5 URehobowamu wahlala eJerusalema wakha amadolobha anezivikelo eziqinile kwaJuda. 6 Ngakho wakha* iBhetlehema, + i-Etamu, iThekhowa, + 7 iBheti-zuri, iSoko, + i-Adulamu, + 8 iGati, + iMareshahi, iZifi, + 9 i-Adorayimi, iLakishi, + i-Azeka, + 10 iZora, i-Ajaloni + neHebroni, + amadolobha anezivikelo eziqinile ayekwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini. 11 Ngaphezu kwalokho, waqinisa izindawo ezinezivikelo eziqinile wabeka amabutho kuzo, wabeka kuzo ukudla namafutha newayini, 12 kuwo wonke amadolobha ahlukahlukene wabeka amahawu amakhulu nemikhonto; wawaqinisa ngezinga elikhulu. UJuda noBhenjamini baqhubeka bengabakhe.

13 Abapristi namaLevi ababekulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli baya ngasohlangothi lwakhe bevela kuzo zonke izindawo zabo. 14 AmaLevi ashiya amadlelo awo nefa lawo + eza kwaJuda naseJerusalema, ngoba uJerobowamu namadodana akhe babewayekisile ukuba abapristi kuJehova. + 15 UJerobowamu wabe esemisa abapristi bakhe bezindawo eziphakeme + nabamademoni anjengezimbuzi *+ nabamathole ayewenzile. + 16 Labo abavela kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli abenza izinhliziyo zabo zafuna uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, babalandela baya nabo eJerusalema beyokwenzela uJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo umhlatshelo. + 17 Baqinisa ubukhosi bakwaJuda futhi basekela uRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni iminyaka emithathu, ngoba bahamba ngendlela kaDavide noSolomoni iminyaka emithathu.

18 URehobowamu wathatha uMahalati waba umkakhe. UMahalati wayeyindodakazi kaJerimoti indodana kaDavide, futhi eyindodakazi ka-Abhihayili indodakazi ka-Eliyabe indodana kaJese. + 19 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wamzalela amadodana: uJewushi, uShemariya noZahamu. 20 Ngemva kwakhe, washada noMahakha umzukulu ka-Absalomu. + Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wamzalela u-Abhiya, + u-Athayi, uZiza noShelomoti. 21 URehobowamu wayethanda uMahakha umzukulu ka-Absalomu kunabo bonke abanye abafazi bakhe nezancinza zakhe; + wayenabafazi abangu-18 nezancinza ezingu-60, wazala amadodana angu-28 namadodakazi angu-60. 22 Ngakho uRehobowamu wabeka u-Abhiya indodana kaMahakha waba inhloko nomholi phakathi kwabafowabo, ngoba wayefuna ukumenza inkosi. 23 Nokho wenza ngokuqonda, wathumela* amanye amadodana akhe kuzo zonke izifunda zakwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini, kuwo wonke amadolobha anezivikelo eziqinile, + wawanika izinto eziningi wawatholela nabafazi abaningi.