2 IZikhronike 11

11 ¹URehobowamu wafika eJerusalema, waqoqa indlu yakwaJuda neyakwaBhenjamini—amabutho akhethiweyo ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili—ukuba alwe no-Israyeli, awubuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu. ²Kodwa izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuShemaya, umuntu kaBaba wethu, lathi:

³“Yisho kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuye wonke u-Israyeli okwaJuda nokwaBhenjamini, uthi: ⁴Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Ningenyukeli, ningalwi nabafowenu. Buyelani ekhaya, ngamunye wenu—lokhu kuvela kimi.” Base belilalela izwi likaBaba wethu, babuyela emuva, bayeka ukuhlasela uJerobowamu.

URehobowamu Uqinisa UJuda

⁵URehobowamu wahlala eJerusalema, wakha imizi yokuvikela kwaJuda. ⁶Wakha iBhetlehema, ne-Etamu, neThekhowa, ⁷neBhethi-Zuri, neSoko, ne-Adulamu, ⁸neGati, neMaresha, neZifi, ⁹ne-Adorayimi, neLakishi, ne-Azeka, ¹⁰neZora, ne-Ajaloni, neHebroni, imizi ebiyelweyo ngezingange ekwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini. ¹¹Waqinisa izinqaba, wafaka abalawuli kuzo, kanye nezinqolobane zokudla, namafutha, newayini. ¹²Kuyo yonke imizi wabeka izihlangu nemikhonto, waziqinisa kakhulu. Ngakho uJuda noBhenjamini baqhubeka bengabakhe.

¹³Abapristi namaLevi ababesezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli beza kuye bevela kuzo zonke izindawo zabo, ¹⁴ngokuba amaLevi ashiya amadlelo awo nempahla yawo, aya kwaJuda naseJerusalema, lokhu uJerobowamu namadodana akhe ababaxosha ukuba bangabe besaba ngabapristi bakaBaba wethu. ¹⁵Wazibekela abapristi bakhe emadaweni aphakemeyo, nawezithombe zezimbuzi, nawamathole awenzile. ¹⁶Kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli, labo ababekile inhliziyo yabo ekufuneni uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, balandela amaLevi ukuya eJerusalema ukuba bahlabele uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawoyise. ¹⁷Baqinisa umbuso wakwaJuda, basekela uRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni iminyaka emithathu, ngokuba bahamba ngendlela kaDavide neyakeSolomoni iminyaka emithathu.

Umndeni KaRehobowamu

¹⁸URehobowamu wathatha uMahalati, indodakazi kaJerimoti indodana kaDavide, no-Abihayili indodakazi ka-Eliyabi indodana kaJese. ¹⁹Wamzalela amadodana: uJewushi, noShemariya, noZahamu. ²⁰Emva kwakhe wathatha uMahaka indodakazi ka-Abisalomu, owamzalela u-Abiya, no-Athayi, noZiza, noShelomiti. ²¹URehobowamu wayemthanda uMahaka indodakazi ka-Abisalomu ngaphezu kwabanye bonke abafazi bakhe nezancinza zakhe, ngokuba wayenabafazi abayishumi nesishiyagalombili, nezancinza ezingamashumi ayisithupha, namadodana angamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili, namadodakazi angamashumi ayisithupha. ²²URehobowamu wabeka u-Abiya, indodana kaMahaka, abe yinhloko yabaholi phakathi kwabafowabo, ngoba wayehlose ukumbeka abe yinkosi. ²³Wenza ngokuhlakanipha, wahlakaza amanye amadodana akhe kuzo zonke izifunda zakwaJuda nezakwaBhenjamini, kuyo yonke imizi ebiyelweyo, wabanika ukudla okuningi, wabafunela abafazi abaningi.