2 IZikhronike 12

12 ¹Kwathi lapho umbuso kaRehobowamu usuqinile uqinisekile, wawushiya umthetho kaBaba wethu, no-Israyeli wonke kanye naye. ²Ngomnyaka wesihlanu kaRehobowamu, ngenxa yokuthi babengathembekile kuBaba wethu, uShishaki inkosi yaseGibhithe wahlasela iJerusalema. ³Weza nezinqola zempi eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amabili, nabagibeli bamahhashi abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisithupha, namabutho angenakubalwa avela eGibhithe: amaLibhiya, amaSukhi, namaKushi. ⁴Wathumba imizi enezivikelo yakwaJuda, waze wafika eJerusalema.

⁵UShemaya umprofethi weza kuRehobowamu nakubaholi bakwaJuda, ababebuthene eJerusalema ngenxa kaShishaki, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Ningishiyile, ngakho nami nginishiya esandleni sikaShishaki.”

⁶Khona-ke abaholi baka-Israyeli nenkosi bazithoba, bathi: “UBaba wethu ulungile.”

⁷Kwathi lapho uBaba wethu ebona ukuthi bazithobile, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuShemaya, lathi: “Bazithobile; angiyikubabhubhisa, kodwa ngiyakubanika ukukhululwa okuncane, nolaka lwami aluyikuthululeka phezu kweJerusalema ngesandla sikaShishaki. ⁸Kodwa bayakuba yizinceku zikaShishaki, ukuze bazi ukungikhonza nokukhonza imibuso yomhlaba.”

⁹UShishaki inkosi yaseGibhithe wahlasela iJerusalema, wathatha konke—ingcebo yendlu kaBaba wethu, nesigodlo senkosi, kuhlanganise nezihlangu zegolide uSolomoni ayezenzile. ¹⁰URehobowamu wafaka esikhundleni sazo izihlangu zethusi, wazinikela ezandleni zezinduna zabalindi ababelinda isango lendlu yenkosi. ¹¹Njalo lapho inkosi ingena endlini kaBaba wethu, abalindi babezithwala izihlangu, bese bezibuyisela ekamelweni labalindi. ¹²Kwathi lapho uRehobowamu ezithoba, ulaka lukaBaba wethu lwadeda kuye, angabhujiswa ngokuphelele; nezinto ezinhle zasala kwaJuda futhi.

¹³Inkosi uRehobowamu waziqinisa eJerusalema, wabusa; wayeneminyaka engamashumi amane nanye lapho eba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa eJerusalema, umuzi uBaba wethu awukhethayo kuzo zonke izizwe zaka-Israyeli ukuba abeke khona igama lakhe. Unina kwakunguNaama, umAmoni. ¹⁴Wenza okubi, ngokuba engabekanga inhliziyo yakhe ukuba afune uBaba wethu.

¹⁵Izenzo zikaRehobowamu, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni, zilotshiwe emibhalweni kaShemaya umprofethi neka-Ido umboni, ebala izizukulwane. URehobowamu noJerobowamu balwa impi njalonjalo. ¹⁶URehobowamu walala koyise, wembelwa eMzini kaDavida; u-Abhiya indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.