1 Akufika eJerusalem uRehobhowam waqokelela indlu kaJuda nekaBhenjamin – amawaka alikhulu elinamashumi asibhozo ewonke amadoda omkhosi – ukuze alwe noSirayeli alubuyisele ulawulo kuRehobhowam.
2 Kambe ke kwafika eli lizwi *likaNdikhoyo kuShemaya umfo wakwaThixo lisithi:
3 “Thetha noRehobhowam unyana kaSolomon ukumkani wakwaJuda namaSirayeli onke kwaJuda nakwaBhenjamin, uthi:
4 ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Musani ukuya kulwa namawenu. Godukani nonke ngabanye, kuba le nto yenziwe ndim.’ ” Ngoko ke bawathobela amazwi kaNdikhoyo, babuya ekuhlaseleni uJerobhowam.
5 URehobhowam wema eJerusalem, waza wazihlaziya wazakha iidolophu ezithile ukukhusela uJuda.
6 Wahlaziya iBhetelehem, iEtam, iTekowa,
7 iBhete-zure, iSoko, iAdulam,
8 iGati, iMeresha, iZifi,
9 iAdorayim, iLakishe, iAzeka,
10 iZoram, iAyalon, neHebron. Ezi yayiziidolophu ezinqatyisiweyo kwaJuda nakwaBhenjamin.
11 Wazomeleza iinqaba zazo, wafaka iingqwayi-ngqwayi kuzo nesixhaso sokutya, amafutha omnquma, newayini.
12 Kuzo zonke ezi zixeko wabeka amakhaka nemikhonto, wazitsho zomelela kunene. Ngoko ke uJuda noBhenjamin yaba ngabakhe.
13 Ke kaloku ababingeleli nabaLevi bazo zonke izithili bawelela ngakuye.
14 AbaLevi bayishiya imihlaba yabo ngokunjalo namadlelo abo, baya kwaJuda naseJerusalem, kuba uJerobhowam noonyana bakhe babubukula ububingeleli babo ngokumiselwa *nguNdikhoyo.
15 Wasuka wamisela abakhe ababingeleli ukuze basebenze kwiindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo nakwimifanekiso yebhokhwe neyethole awayeyenzile.
16 Kuzo zonke izindlu zikaSirayeli abantu ababezimisele ukulandela uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli bemka nabaLevi, baya eJerusalem, ukuze banikele amadini kuNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise.
17 Bawomeleza umbuso wakwaJuda, bamxhasa uRehobhowam unyana kaSolomon iminyaka yamithathu, behamba ngeendlela ababehamba ngazo besaphila uDavide noSolomon.
18 URehobhowam wathatha uMahalati intombi yonyana kaDavide uJerimoti kunye noAbhihayili intombi yonyana kaJese uEliyabhi.
19 Wamzalela la madodana: uJewushe, uShemariya, noZahama.
20 Waphinda wathatha uMaka intombi ka-Abhasalom owazala uAbhiya, uAtayi, uZiza, noShelomiti.
21 Ke uRehobhowam wayemthanda gqitha uMahaka lo uyintombi ka-Abhasalom, kuye ebalasele kunabo bonke abafazi bakhe ndawonye namaqadi. Wayenabafazi abalishumi elinesibhozo, amaqadi wona engamashumi amathandathu. Oonyana bakhe babengamashumi amabini anesibhozo, iintombi zingamashumi amathandathu.
22 Ke kaloku uRehobhowam wamisela uAbhiya wayeyona nkulu koonyana bakhe ukuze abe ngukumkani esikhundleni sakhe xa engasekho yena.
23 URehobhowam wenza ubuchule, oonyana bakhe wabasarhaza kuzo zonke izithili zakwaJuda nakwaBhenjamin, kuzo zonke izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo. Wabaxhasa ngokwaneleyo, wabathathela abafazi abaninzi.