1 Kwathi uJerobhowam xa emi ngaseqongeni lamadini, eza kwenza iziqhumiso, nako kuvela umfo wakwaThixo owayeyalelwe *nguNdikhoyo ukuba aphume kwaJuda, aye eBhetele.
2 Wadanduluka ngelizwi likaNdikhoyo, ekhalima ngenxa yelo qonga, wathi: “Qongandini! Qongandini! Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Uyabona, kwindlu kaDavide kuza kuzalwa unyana ogama linguYosiya. Apha kanye phezu kwakho yena uya kwenza amadini ngaba babingeleli basezindulini, aba benza iziqhumiso apha ngoku. Ewe, phezu kwakho apha kuya kutshiswa amathambo abantu.’ ”
3 Kwangaloo mini umfo wakwaThixo wenza umqondiso, wathi: “Nanku umqondiso awukhuphileyo uNdikhoyo: Niyabona, eli qonga liya kuqhekeka, luze uthuthu oluphezu kwalo luphalale.”
4 Akuluva udaba lwalo mfo wakwaThixo mayela nelo qonga laseBhetele, ukumkani uJerobhowam wolula isandla sakhe elapho eqongeni, wathi: “Mbambeni!” Kambe ke eso sandla sakhe awayesolulela kuloo ndoda sasuka sashwabana soma, akaba nako ukusibuyisela kuye kwakhona.
5 Neqonga elo lasuka laqhekeka, lwaza uthuthu oluphezu kwalo lwaphalala, kanye ngokomqondiso womfo wakwaThixo, lowo wayewunikwe nguNdikhoyo.
6 Ke ukumkani wathetha nomfo lowo wakwaThixo wathi: “Khawuncede umkhunge uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, undithandazele ukuze isandla sam sibuye siphile.” Umfo lowo wakhunga wathandaza uNdikhoyo, saza ke eso sandla sikakumkani sabuya saphila sanjengangaphambili.
7 Ukumkani wathetha naloo mfo wakwaThixo wathi: “Hamba nam, siye ekhaya, ndikuphe into etyiwayo, ndikunike nesipho.”
8 Kambe ke umfo lowo wakwaThixo wamphendula ukumkani wathi: “Noba ubuza kundinika isiqingatha sezinto zonke onazo, bendingayi kuhamba nawe, futhi bendingayi kutya ndingaseli nakusela apha.
9 Kaloku ndifumene umyalelo kuNdikhoyo othi: ‘Uze ungatyi, ungaseli nokusela, futhi ungabuyi ngendlela obe uye ngayo.’ ”
10 Ngoko ke wathatha ndlela yimbi, akahamba ngaleyo wayeye ngayo eBhetele.
11 Ngoko ke kwakukho nkonde ithile *yomshumayeli eyayihlala apho eBhetele. Oonyana bayo bazibona izinto awazenzayo loo mfo wakwaThixo apho ngaloo mini, baza ke baya kuchazela uyise lowo, uyise lowo bamchazela nento ayithethileyo kukumkani.
12 Uyise wathi kubo: “Úhambe ngayiphi na indlela?” Oonyana ke bamkhombisa indlela ahambe ngayo umfo lowo wakwaThixo ovela kwelakwaJuda.
13 Wathi koonyana bakhe: “Ndibopheleleni idonki.” Bambophelela idonki, wakhwela kuyo,
14 waza walandela umfo wakwaThixo. Ke kaloku wamfumana ehleli phantsi komthi wom-oki, waza wathi kuye: “Unguye na laa mfo wakwaThixo uphuma kwelakwaJuda?”Yena ke wathi: “Ndinguye!”
15 Wathi kuye: “Yiza sihambe, uye kufumana into etyiwayo ekhaya.”
16 Umfo wakwaThixo waphendula wathi: “Hayi, andinako ukujika ndihambe nawe, ndingenako nokutya ndisele apha kule ndawo.
17 Ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lithe kum: ‘Phaya uze ungatyi, ungaseli nokusela, futhi ungabuyi ngendlela obe uye ngayo.’ ”
18 Loo nkonde yomshumayeli yathi: “Hayi kaloku, nam ngokwam ndingumshumayeli njengawe lo, ngoku ke isithunywa sindixelele ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, sathi: ‘Yiya kumthatha ubuye naye, eze endlwini yakho, atye asele.’ ” Kambe ke wayexoka!
19 Ngoko umfo wakwaThixo lowo wajika nayo, waza ke watya wasela apho endlwini yayo.
20 Bathe ke besahleli etafileni, ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lafikela loo nkonde yomshumayeli, le yajika umfo wakwaThixo.
21 Yaza ke yadanduluka, ibhekisa apho kuloo mfo wakwaThixo wayevela kwaJuda, yathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ulicekisile ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, awawukhathalela umyalelo owunikwe nguNdikhoyo uThixo wakho.
22 Ujikile wafika watya wasela kanye kule ndawo ubuyalelwe ukuba ungatyi ungaseli kuyo. Ngoko ke isidumbu sakho asiyi kungcwatywa kumafihlo ooyihlo.’ ”
23 Uthe ke akugqiba ukutya nokusela umfo wakwaThixo lowo, inkonde yomshumayeli leya ibimjikile isuke yambophela idonki yakhe.
24 Uthe ke esahamba, kwee gqi ingonyama apho endleleni, yamqwenga yambulala. Waza ke umzimba wakhe wee gangalala apho endleleni, idonki nengonyama zona zingxange phezu kwakhe.
25 Abantu ababedlula bawubona loo mzimba uthe gangalala apho endleleni, phezu kwawo kungxange ingonyama, baza ke baya kulubika olo daba apho kweso sixeko yayihlala kuso inkonde yomshumayeli.
26 Loo mshumayeli wayemjike kuhambo lwakhe uthe akuziva ezo ndaba: “Iya kuba ngulaa mfo wakwaThixo walicekisayo ilizwi likaNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo umnikele engonyameni esuke yamqwenga yambulala ngokwelizwi elalithethwe kuye nguNdikhoyo.”
27 Umshumayeli lowo wayalela oonyana bakhe, wathi: “Ndibopheleni idonki.” Bayibopha.
28 Waphuma ke, waza wawufumana loo mzimba uthe gangalala endleleni, phezu kwawo kungxange idonki nengonyama. Ingonyama leyo zange iwutye, ingazange iyiqwenge nedonki leyo.
29 Ngoko ke umshumayeli lowo wawuthatha loo mzimba womfo wakwaThixo, wawuxhoma edonkini, wabuya nawo, wawuzisa esixekweni sakhe, ukuze alilelwe angcwatye.
30 Umzimba lowo ke wawufaka kwelakhe ingcwaba, baza ke bamlilela besithi: “Yho-o-o, umntakwethu!”
31 Bakugqiba ke ukumngcwaba, wathi koonyana bakhe: “Ndakuba ndifile ze nindifihle kweli ngcwaba lilele lo mfo wakwaThixo, amathambo am niwabeke ecaleni kwawakhe.
32 Kaloku udaba alubhengezileyo eyalelwe nguNdikhoyo mayela neqonga laseBhetele, nazo zonke izibingelelo ezisezindulini kwiidolophu zaseSamariya, nanjani na luya kufezeka.”
33 Kanti ke, nasemva kwesi siganeko, yena uJerobhowam zange abuye ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi; waphikela ukumisela ababingeleli basezindulini, ethatha nabani na. Wonke umntu owayefuna ukuba ngumbingeleli wayemmisela izibingelelo zasezindulini.
34 Esi ke sisono esangenela indlu kaJerobhowam, sayirhuqa yada yawa yatshabalala tu ehlabathini.