U-Abhiya uthatha isihlalo sobukhosi
U-Abiya umemeza icala lakhe ngaphesheya kwesigodi: uJuda usenabapristi baka-Aroni, iminikelo yansuku zonke nesibani, kanti u-Israyeli unamathole nabapristi abazibekele bona. Behlaselwa ngobuqili ngaphambili nangemuva, uJuda ukhalela kuBaba wethu anqobe, ngoba bathembela kuye.
13 1Ngonyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJerobhowamu, u-Abhiya waba yinkosi yakwaJuda. 2Wabusa iminyaka emithathu eJerusalema; unina kwakunguMikhaya, indodakazi ka-Uriyeli waseGibeya. U-Abhiya noJerobhowamu baya empini. 3U-Abhiya wangena empini nebutho lamaqhawe akhethiweyo angamakhulu amane ezinkulungwane, anamandla empini; uJerobhowamu wamhlela phambili namaqhawe akhethiweyo anamandla angamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili ezinkulungwane.
4U-Abhiya wema entabeni iZemarayimi ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi wathi: “Ngizweni, Jerobhowamu nani nonke bakwa-Israyeli! 5Anazi yini ukuthi uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wanika uDavida namadodana akhe isihlalo sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, ngesivumelwano sikasawoti? a a v5 Isivumelwano sikasawoti kwakuyisivumelwano esiqinileyo nesihlala njalo; usawoti wayelondoloza ukudla futhi efanekisela ukuzibophezela okuhlala njalo nokungephulwe. 6Kodwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati—inceku kaSolomoni indodana kaDavida—wasukuma wahlubuka enkosini yakhe. 7Amadoda ayize abuthana kuye, emelana noRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, owayesemncane enovalo, engenawo amandla okumelana nabo.
8Manje nicabanga ukuthi ningamelana nombuso kaBaba wethu osezandleni zamadodana kaDavida, ngokuba niyisixuku esikhulu kanye namathole egolide uJerobhowamu awenza ukuba abe onkulunkulu benu. 9Anizixoshanga yini abapristi bakaBaba wethu, amadodana ka-Aroni namaLevi, nazenzela abapristi benu njengezinye izizwe? Noma ngubani ofika nenkunzi encane neziklabhu eziyisikhombisa angaba ngumpristi wezinto ezingeyona onkulunkulu.
10Kodwa uBaba wethu ungowethu, futhi asimshiyanga. Abapristi abamkhonzayo ngamadodana ka-Aroni, namaLevi asemsebenzini wawo. 11Njalo ekuseni nakusihlwa bashisela uBaba wethu iminikelo yokushiswa nempepho enuka kamnandi; babeka izinhla zezinkwa etafuleni legolide elicwengekileyo, banakekele uthi lwezibani lwegolide, oluvuthiswayo njalo kusihlwa. Thina sigcina umsebenzi omisiweyo kaBaba wethu, kodwa nina nimshiyile. 12Bhekani, uBaba wethu unathi ephambili kwethu, nabapristi bakhe banamacilongo okukhalisa isexwayiso ngakini. Nina bakwa-Israyeli, ningalwi noBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawokhokho benu, ngokuba ngeke ninqobe.”
13UJerobhowamu wayethumele abacathamayo bebazungeze, ukuba bavele ngemuva kwabo; amabutho akhe ayebhekene noJuda, abacathami bengemuva kwabo. 14UJuda waphenduka, wabona impi ibhekene nabo ngaphambili nangemuva, wakhala kuBaba wethu; abapristi bashaya amacilongo. 15Amadoda akwaJuda amemeza umkhosi wempi, kwathi lapho ememeza, uBaba wethu washaya uJerobhowamu nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli phambi kuka-Abhiya noJuda. 16Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kukaJuda, uBaba wethu wabanikela kuJuda. 17U-Abhiya nebutho lakhe wababulala ngokubulala okukhulu; kwawa kwafa amadoda akhethiweyo akwa-Israyeli angamakhulu amahlanu ezinkulungwane. 18Ngakho abakwa-Israyeli bathotshiswa ngaleso sikhathi, uJuda wanqoba ngokuba babethembele kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawokhokho babo. 19U-Abhiya wamxosha uJerobhowamu, wathumba imizi kuye—iBhetheli nemizana yayo, iJeshana nemizana yayo, i-Efroni nemizana yayo.
20UJerobhowamu akaphindanga abe namandla ngezinsuku zokuphila kuka-Abhiya, uBaba wethu wamshaya, wafa. 21Kodwa u-Abhiya waqina. Wathatha abafazi abayishumi nane, waba namadodana angamashumi amabili nambili namadodakazi ayishumi nesithupha. 22Ezinye izenzo zika-Abhiya, izindlela zakhe namazwi akhe, kulotshiwe encwadini yokuchaza yomprofethi u-Ido.
