uBaba ulahla i-alithare likaJerobowamu
Umprofethi waseJuda uqhekeza i-altare likaJerobowamu ngezwi likaBaba wethu futhi oma isandla sakhe, bese enqaba itafula lenkosi ngoba wayetshelwe ukuba angadli lutho lapho. Umprofethi omdala uyamqambela amanga, uyadla, futhi ibhubesi limbulala endleleni ebuyela ekhaya.
13 1Umuntu kaBaba wethu wavela kwaJuda waya eBhetheli ngezwi likaBaba wethu, kwathi uJerobowamu emi e-alithareni ukuze ashise impepho.
2Ngezwi likaBaba wethu wamemeza ngokumelene ne-alithare, wathi: “Alithare, alithare, uBaba wethu uthi: indlu kaDavide iyakuzala indodana egama layo linguJosiya. Uyakuhlaba phezu kwakho abapristi bezindawo eziphakeme abashisa impepho phezu kwakho, namathambo abantu ayakushiswa phezu kwakho.”
3Ngalolo suku wanika isibonakaliso, wathi: “Yilesi isibonakaliso uBaba wethu asikhulumile: i-alithare liyakuqhekeka, nomlotha ophezu kwalo uyakuchitheka.”
4Kwathi inkosi uJerobowamu isizwa umuntu kaBaba wethu ememeza ngokumelene ne-alithare eBhetheli, welula isandla sakhe esuka e-alithareni, wathi: “Mbambeni!” Kodwa isandla asi-elulele kuye sashwabana, wahluleka ukusibuyisela kuye. 5I-alithare laqhekeka, nomlotha wachitheka — yisona sibonakaliso umuntu kaBaba wethu asinika ngezwi likaBaba wethu. 6Inkosi yathi kumuntu kaBaba wethu: “Ncenga umusa kaNkulunkulu wakho; ungithandazele, ukuze isandla sami sibuyiselwe.” Wancenga kuBaba wethu, sabuyiselwa isandla senkosi njengakuqala.
7Inkosi yathi kumuntu kaBaba wethu: “Woza ekhaya, udle nami, ngikuphe nesipho.”
8Umuntu kaBaba wethu wathi enkosini: “Noma ungangipha uhhafu wendlu yakho, angiyikuhamba nawe, angiyikudla isinkwa, angiyikuphuza namanzi kule ndawo.
9Ngokuba yilokhu izwi likaBaba wethu elangiyala ngakho, lathi: ‘Ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi, ungabuyi ngendlela oze ngayo.’”
10Ngakho wahamba ngenye indlela, akabuyanga ngendlela ayeze ngayo eBhetheli.
11Kwakukhona umprofethi omdala owayehlala eBhetheli. Amadodana akhe eza amtshela konke umuntu kaBaba wethu ayekwenzile ngalolo suku eBhetheli. Amtshela uyise namazwi ayewakhulumile enkosini.
12Uyise wababuza wathi: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela?” Amadodana akhe amkhombisa indlela ayihambile umuntu kaBaba wethu ovela kwaJuda. 13Wathi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni isihlalo kumbongolo.” Ambophelela isihlalo kumbongolo, wagibela kuwo. 14Walandela umuntu kaBaba wethu, wamfica ehlezi phansi kwesihlahla se-oki, wambuza wathi: “Wena ungumuntu kaBaba wethu ovela kwaJuda na?” Wathi: “Nginguye.”
15Wayesethi kuye: “Woza ekhaya nami, udle isinkwa.”
16Kodwa wathi: “Angikwazi ukubuya nawe nokungena nawe, angiyikudla isinkwa noma ngiphuze amanzi nawe kule ndawo. 17Ngokuba uBaba wethu wangitshela ngezwi lakhe, wathi: ‘Ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi lapho, ungabuyi ngendlela oze ngayo.’”
18Wathi: “Nami ngingumprofethi njengawe; ingelosi yangitshela ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, yathi: ‘Mbuyisele endlini yakho ukuze adle isinkwa aphuze amanzi.’” Kodwa wayemqamba amanga.
19Ngakho umuntu kaBaba wethu wabuya naye, wadla isinkwa endlini yakhe, waphuza namanzi. 20Besahlezi etafuleni, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kumprofethi owayembuyisile.
21Wamemeza kumuntu kaBaba wethu ovela kwaJuda, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba udelele izwi lakhe, awusigcinanga isiyalezo uBaba wakho asikunikile, 22kodwa ubuyile, wadla isinkwa, waphuza namanzi endaweni akutshela ngayo ukuthi: ‘Ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi’ — isidumbu sakho asiyikufika ethuneni laboyihlo.”
23Kwathi umuntu kaBaba wethu esedlile waphuza, umprofethi omdala wambophelela isihlalo kumbongolo, umprofethi lowo ayembuyisile. 24Esahamba endleleni yakhe, ingonyama yamhlangabeza endleleni, yambulala. Isidumbu sakhe salahlwa endleleni, umbongolo umi eceleni kwaso, nengonyama imi eceleni kwesidumbu. 25Abadlulayo babona isidumbu silahliwe endleleni, nengonyama imi eceleni kwaso, beza babika lokho emzini owawuhlalwa umprofethi omdala. 26Kwathi umprofethi owayembuyisile endleleni esekuzwile, wathi: “Lona ngumuntu kaBaba wethu odelele izwi likaBaba wethu; ngakho umnikele engonyameni, yona eyimdwengule yambulala, njengoba ayemtshelile.” 27Wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni isihlalo kumbongolo.” Ambophelela isihlalo. 28Wahamba wafica isidumbu silahliwe endleleni, umbongolo nengonyama kumi eceleni kwaso; ingonyama yayingasidlanga isidumbu, nombongolo ayiwudwengulanga. 29Umprofethi wasiphakamisa isidumbu somuntu kaBaba wethu, wasibeka phezu kombongolo, wasibuyisa, wafika emzini ukuze amlilele amngcwabe. 30Wasibeka isidumbu ethuneni lakhe siqu, bamlilela, bathi: “Maye, mfowethu!”
31Esemngcwabile, wathi emadodaneni akhe: “Lapho ngifa, ningimbele ethuneni angcwatshwe kulo umuntu kaBaba wethu; nibeke amathambo ami eceleni kwamathambo akhe. 32Ngokuba izwi alimemezile ngezwi likaBaba wethu ngokumelene ne-alithare laseBhetheli nangokumelene nazo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakeme ezisemizini yaseSamariya, liyakwenzeka ngempela.”
33Emva kwalokhu uJerobowamu akaphendukanga endleleni yakhe embi; wabuya wenza abapristi bezindawo eziphakeme kubo bonke abantu — noma ngubani owayethanda, wayemmisa, aba ngumpristi wezindawo eziphakeme. 34Lokhu kwaba yisono endlini kaJerobowamu, kwayinquma, kwayibhubhisa ebusweni bomhlaba.
