1 Ke kaloku uRehobhowam waya eShekem, kuba onke amaSirayeli ayeye khona ukuze ammisele abe ngukumkani.
2 Uthe ke akuyiva loo nto uJerobhowam unyana kaNebhati, wasuka wabuya apho eJiputa – kaloku wayeseJiputa oko wayebaleke ukumkani uSolomon.
3 Ewe, bamthumelela uJerobhowam, waza ke yena nebandla likaSirayeli liphela baya kuRehobhowam, bathi kuye:
4 “Uyihlo wabeka idyokhwe enzima phezu kwethu. Kambe ke wena xa unokuwenza lula umthwalo ebesiwubekwe nguyihlo, ewe kanye idyokhwe enzima abeyibeke phezu kwethu, sokukhonza.”
5 URehobhowam uphendule wathi: “Khanihambe, ze nibuye nize apha kum emva kweentsuku ezintathu.” Bemka ke abantu.
6 Ke ukumkani uRehobhowam wathetha-thethana namadoda amakhulu awayebusa kuyise uSolomon ngexesha lokudla kwakhe ubomi, esithi: “Nicebisa ngelithini na nina, ukuze ndibaphendule aba bantu?”
7 Aphendula athi: “Ukuba uthe namhlanje waba njengesicaka kwaba bantu, wabakhonza, wathetha kakuhle nabo, baya kusoloko bezizicaka zakho.”
8 Kambe ke uRehobhowam walikhaba eli cebiso alinikwa ngamadoda amakhulu, waza wathetha-thethana nabafana abaziintanga zakhe ababembusa.
9 Wabuza kubo wathi: “Nindinika cebiso lini nina? Mandithini ukubaphendula aba bantu bathi: ‘Khawuyenze lula idyokhwe awayibeka phezu kwethu uyihlo’?”
10 Abo bafana baziintanga zakhe baphendula bathi: “Abo bantu bathi: ‘Uyihlo wayenza nzima idyokhwe yethu, kodwa wena yenze ibe lula kuthi.’ Ke wena baxelele uthi: ‘Ucikicane wam ungaphezu kwesinqe sikabawo.
11 Ukuba ubawo ubenithwalise idyokhwe enzima, mna ke ndiza kuyenza ibe nzima ngaphezulu. Ubawo ebenibetha ngoswazi, ke mna ndonikatsa ngemvubu.’ ”
12 Emva kweentsuku ezintathu ke uJerobhowam nabantu bonke babuyela kuRehobhowam ngokwaloo mlomo wakhe owawuthe: “Ze nibuye nize apha kum emva kweentsuku ezintathu.”
13 Ke ukumkani wabaphendula rhabaxa abantu, walilahla icebiso lamadoda amakhulu,
14 wathatha elabafana, wathi: “Ubawo wayenza nzima idyokhwe yenu. Mna ke ndiza kuyenza ibe nzima ngaphezulu. Njengoko yena ubawo ebenibetha ngoswazi, ke mna ndiza kunikatsa ngemvubu.”
15 Ewe, ukumkani akabaphulaphulanga abantu, phofu ke ukuhamba kwezinto ngale ndlela kwakuvela *kuNdikhoyo, efezekisa ilizwi awalithetha kuJerobhowam unyana kaNebhati ngomlomo ka-Ahiya waseShilo.
16 Ke uSirayeli ewonke uthe akubona ukuba ukumkani uyala ukuphulaphula, wamphendula wathi:“Sinasabelo sini na kuDavide?Sinanxaxhebani na kunyana kaJese?Godukani, maSirayeli!Ke wena, Davide, jongana nendlu yakho!”Ngoko ke amaSirayeli agoduka.
17 Kambe ke wona amaSirayeli awayemi kwiidolophu zakwaJuda ahlala ephantsi kolawulo lukaRehobhowam.
18 Ukumkani uRehobhowam wathumela uAdoniram owayeyingqwayi-ngqwayi kwabasebenza ngonyanzelo, kodwa amaSirayeli asuka amxuluba ngamatye wafa. Phofu ke yena ukumkani waba nako ukungena enqwelweni, asabele eJerusalem.
19 Unanamhla ke uSirayeli usavukelene nendlu kaDavide.
20 AmaSirayeli athe asakuqonda ukuba uJerobhowam ubuyile, ambizela embizweni, aza ammisela wangukumkani kaSirayeli ephela, yaba yindlu kaJuda yodwa eyasala isephantsi kwendlu kaDavide.
21 Akufika eJerusalem uRehobhowam waqokelela indlu kaJuda nekaBhenjamin – amawaka alikhulu elinamashumi asibhozo ewonke amadoda omkhosi – ukuze alwe noSirayeli, alubuyisele ulawulo kuRehobhowam unyana kaSolomon.
22 Kambe ke kwafika eli lizwi likaThixo kuShemaya umfo wakwaThixo lisithi:
23 “Thetha noRehobhowam unyana kaSolomon ukumkani wakwaJuda, nayo yonke indlu kaJuda nekaBhenjamin, nakubo bonke abaseleyo, uthi:
24 ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Musani ukuya kulwa namawenu amaSirayeli. Godukani nonke ngabanye, kuba le nto yenziwe ndim.’ ” Ngoko ke balithobela ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, bagoduka ngokomyalelo wakhe.
25 UJerobhowam wayixhobisa iShekem kwelo lakwaEfrayim, waza wahlala khona. Kananjalo waya kuyakha nePeniyeli.
26 UJerobhowam wathi ngaphakathi kwakhe: “Hleze lo mbuso ubuyele kwindlu kaDavide.
27 Ukuba aba bantu bamane besiya kwenza amadini endlwini *kaNdikhoyo eJerusalem, bangasuka baphinde bakhahlele kwinkosi yabo uRehobhowam ukumkani kaJuda. Xa inokwenzeka loo nto bangandibulala, babuyele kukumkani uRehobhowam.”
28 Emva kokucebisana nabathile ukumkani wenza amathole amabini ngegolide. Wabhekisa ebantwini wathi: “Niyaxhamleka kukunyuka niye eJerusalem. Nanku uThixo wakho, Sirayeli, owakukhupha ezweni laseJiputa!”
29 Elinye walibeka eBhetele, elinye lâkwaDan.
30 Yathi ke loo nto yaba sisono; bahamba abantu baya phambi kwelo likwaDan.
31 UJerobhowam wakha izibingelelo ezindulini, waza wamisela ababingeleli beendidi zonke zabantu nâbo bangengabo abaLevi.
32 Wamisa imibhiyozo ngosuku lweshumi elinesihlanu kwinyanga yesibhozo njengalowo wawusenziwa kwaJuda, waza wenza amadini eqongeni. Le nto wayenza eBhetele, wawenzela amadini loo mathole wayewabumbile. Kananjalo eBhetele wamisa ababingeleli kwiinduli awayezimisile.
33 Ngosuku lweshumi elinesihlanu kwinyanga yesibhozo, nyanga leyo wazikhethelayo, wenza amadini kwiqonga awayelakhe eBhetele. Ewe, amaSirayeli wawamisela loo mbhiyozo, naye waya eqongeni wanikela amadini.