1 URehobowamu waya eShekemi, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli wayefikile eShekemi ukumbeka inkosi.
2 Kwathi lapho uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati ekuzwile -- ngokuba wayeseGibithe, lapho ayebalekele khona, ebalekele ubuso benkosi uSolomoni; wahlala-ke uJerobowamu eGibithe,
3 kepha bathuma bambiza -- uJerobowamu nebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli beza, bakhuluma kuRehobowamu, bathi:
4 “Uyihlo wenza ijoka lethu laba lukhuni; ngalokho yenza wena ube lula umsebenzi olukhuni kayihlo nejoka lakhe elisindayo owalibeka phezu kwethu, siyakukukhonza.”
5 Wathi kubo: “Hambani izinsuku zibe zintathu, bese nibuyela kimi.” Basuka-ke abantu.
6 Inkosi uRehobowamu yelulekana namalunga ayemile phambi kukaSolomoni uyise, esekhona, yathi: “Nina ningeluleka ukubuyisela mpenduloni kulaba bantu na?”
7 Akhuluma kuye, athi: “Uma uyakuba yinceku yalaba bantu namhla nje, ubakhonze, ubaphendule, ukhulume amazwi amahle kubo, bayakuba yizinceku zakho izinsuku zonke.”
8 Kepha walahla isiluleko samalunga ameluleke ngaso, welulekana nezinsizwa eziyintanga yakhe, ezazimi phambi kwakhe.
9 Wathi kuzo: “Nina ningeluleka ukuba sibuyisele mpenduloni kulaba bantu abakhulume kimi ngokuthi: ‘Yenza ijoka uyihlo alibeka phezu kwethu libe lula,’ na?”
10 Zase zikhuluma kuye izinsizwa eziyintanga yakhe, zithi: “Uyakusho kanje kulaba bantu abakhulume kuwe ngokuthi: ‘Uyihlo walenza ijoka lethu lasinda, kepha wena ulenze libe lula kithina,’ uyakukhuluma kanje kubo, uthi: ‘Ucikicane wami mkhulu kunokhalo lukababa.
11 Manje ubaba wanithwesa ijoka elisindayo, mina ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu; ubaba wanishaya ngeziswebhu, mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.’ ”
12 UJerobowamu nabantu bonke base befika kuRehobowamu ngosuku lwesithathu njengokusho kwenkosi, ithi: “Buyelani kimi ngosuku lwesithathu.”
13 Inkosi yaphendula abantu kalukhuni, yalahla isiluleko samalunga ameluleke ngaso,
14 yakhuluma kubo njengesiluleko sezinsizwa ngokuthi: “Ubaba walenza ijoka lenu lasinda, mina ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu; ubaba wanishaya ngeziswebhu, mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.”
15 Inkosi ayilalelanga abantu, ngokuba kwakuyisiyiba esivela kuJehova, ukuze amise izwi lakhe uJehova alikhulumayo ngesandla sika-Ahiya waseShilo kuJerobowamu indodana kaNebati.
16 Wonke u-Israyeli esebonile ukuthi inkosi ayibalalelanga, abantu babuyisela izwi enkosini, bathi:“Sinasabelo sini kuDavide na?Ifa asinalo endodaneni kaJese.Yana ematendeni akho, Israyeli,zibhekele indlu yakho manje, Davide.”Wayesesuka u-Israyeli, waya ematendeni akhe.
17 Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abakhe emizini yakwaJuda, uRehobowamu wabusa phezu kwabo.
18 Inkosi uRehobowamu yathuma u-Adoramu owayephezu kwezisebenzi; u-Israyeli wonke wamkhanda ngamatshe, wafa. Inkosi uRehobowamu yashesha ukukhwela inqola yayo ukuba ibalekele eJerusalema.
19 U-Israyeli wayeseyihlubuka-ke indlu kaDavide kuze kube namuhla.
20 Kwathi wonke u-Israyeli esezwile ukuthi uJerobowamu ubuyile, bathuma bambizela emhlanganweni, bambeka inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; akubangakho muntu olandela indlu kaDavide, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.
21 URehobowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabutha yonke indlu yakwaJuda nesizwe sakwaBenjamini, abantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili, amabutho, ukuba balwe nendlu yakwa-Israyeli, bawubuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni.
22 Lase lifika izwi likaNkulunkulu kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu, lathi:
23 “Khuluma kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuyo yonke indlu yakwaJuda neyakwaBenjamini, nakubantu abaseleyo, ngokuthi:
24 ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Aniyikukhuphuka, ningalwi nabafowenu abantwana bakwa-Israyeli; buyelani, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe, ngokuba le nto ivela kimi.’ ” Balalela izwi likaJehova, babuya, bahamba njengokusho kukaJehova.
25 UJerobowamu waqinisa iShekemi ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, wahlala khona; waphuma lapho, waqinisa iPhenuweli.
26 UJerobowamu wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Manje umbuso uyakubuyela endlini kaDavide.
27 Uma laba bantu benyuka ukunikela ngemihlatshelo endlini kaJehova eJerusalema, inhliziyo yalaba bantu iyakuphindela enkosini yabo, kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda, bangibulale mina, babuyele kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda.”
28 Inkosi isithathe isiluleko, yenza amathole amabili egolide, yathi kubo: “Sekwanele ukuba nikhuphukele eJerusalema; bheka onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe.”
29 Wabeka elinye eBethele, elinye walibeka kwaDani.
30 Leyo nto yaba yisono, ngokuba abantu baya phambi kwelinye nakwaDani.
31 Wakha nezindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo, wenza abapristi ngeningi labantu abangesiwo amadodana kaLevi.
32 UJerobowamu wagubha umkhosi ngenyanga yesishiyagalombili ngosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga njengomkhosi wakwaJuda, wenyukela e-altare; wenze njalo eBethele ukuba ahlabele amathole awenzileyo; wabeka eBethele abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo azenzileyo.
33 Wayesenikela e-altare alenzileyo ngosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga yesishiyagalombili, inyanga abeyinqumile ngokwakhe nje; wenzela abantwana bakwa-Israyeli umkhosi, wenyukela e-altare ukushisa impepho.