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.