1 Weza uRehabheham eYerusalem, wabizela ndawonye indlu yakwaYuda neyakwaBhenjamin, ikhulu elinamanci asibhozo amawaka amadodana okulwa imfazwe, ukuba aye kulwa namaSirayeli, bubuyiselwe ubukumkani kuRehabheham.
2 Lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuShemaya, umfo wakwaThixo, lisithi,
3 Yitsho kuRehabheham unyana kaSolomon, ukumkani wakwaYuda, nakumaSirayeli onke, kwaYuda nakwaBhenjamin, ukuthi,
4 Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Ize ningànyuki; ize ningàlwi nabazalwana benu. Buyani, aye elowo endlwini yakhe; ngokuba iphume kum le nto. Baliphulaphula izwi likaYehova, babuya ekuyeni kulwa noYarobheham.
5 Wahlala uRehabheham eYerusalem, wákhe imizi yokunqabisa kwaYuda.
6 Wákha iBhetelehem, ne-Etam, neTekowa,
7 neBhete-tsure, neSoko, neAdulam,
8 neGati, neMaresha, neZifi,
9 neAdorayim, neLakishe, neAseka,
10 neTsora, neAyalon, nowaseHebron, ekwaYuda nekwaBhenjamin, imizi enqatyisiweyo.
11 Waziqinisa iinqaba, wabeka iingànga zamadoda kuzo, noovimba bokudla neoli newayini.
12 Nakwimizi ngemizi yonke wabeka amakhaka, nezikhali; wayiqinisa kakhulu kunene. Aba kuye amaYuda namaBhenjamin.
13 Ababingeleli nabaLevi ababekwelakwaSirayeli lonke bathelela kuye, bevela emideni yabo yonke.
14 Ngokuba abaLevi bawashiya amadlelo abo, nemfuyo yabo, beza kwaYuda naseYerusalem; ngokuba uYarobheham noonyana bakhe babebakhuphile, ukuba bangabi ngababingeleli kuYehova;
15 wazimisela ababingeleli bezigánga, nabamaxhonti, nabamathole awawenzáyo.
16 Emva kwabo ke, ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli, bathi abazinikeláyo iintliziyo zabo ukumquqela uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, beza kubingelela eYerusalem kuYehova, uThixo wooyise.
17 Babuzinzisa ubukumkani bukaYuda, bamomeleza uRehabheham unyana kaSolomon iminyaka emithathu; ngokuba bahamba ngendlela kaDavide noSolomon iminyaka emithathu.
18 Ke kaloku uRehabheham wazeka uMahalati, intombi kaYerimoti unyana kaDavide, noAbhihayile, intombi kaEliyabhi unyana kaYese;
19 wamzalela oonyana: ooYehushe, noShemariya, noZaham.
20 Emva kwakhe wazeka uMahaka intombi ka-Abhisalom; wamzalela uAbhiya, noAtayi, noZiza, noShelomiti.
21 URehabheham wathanda uMahaka intombi ka-Abhisalom, ngaphezu kwabafazi bakhe bonke namashweshwe akhe (ngokuba ubenabafazi abalishumi elinesibhozo, namashweshwe angamashumi amathandathu; wazala oonyana abamashumi mabini anesibhozo, neentombi ezimashumi mathandathu).
22 URehabheham wamisa uAbhiya unyana kaMahaka, ukuba abe yinkulu, abe yingànga phakathi kwabazalwana bakhe; ngokuba ubecinga ukumenza ukumkani.
23 Wenza ngenqondo, wabathi saa oonyana bakhe bonke emazweni onke akwaYuda nakwaBhenjamin, emizini yonke enqatyisiweyo, wabanika ukudla okuninzi, wabafunela into eninzi yabafazi.