Kings III 12
1 And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king.
URehobhowami waya eShekhemu, njengoba abako-Israyeli bonke babeye khona ukuyambeka ukuba abe yinkosi.
UJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi wakuzwa lokhu (elokhu eseGibhithe, lapho ayebalekele khona ebalekela inkosi uSolomoni) wabuya evela eGibhithe.
3 And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy;
Ngakho bakhupha ilizwi lokunxusa uJerobhowamu; kwathi yena labo bonke abako-Israyeli baya kuRehobhowami bafika bathi kuye:
4 but do you now lighten somewhat of the hard service of your father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.
“Uyihlo wasethesa ijogwe elinzima kakhulu, wena phungula lumthwalo olochuku lejogwe elinzima esaletheswa nguyihlo, yikho sizakukhonza.”
5 And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.
URehobhowami waphendula wathi: “Sukani lapha okwensuku ezintathu beseliphenduka libuye kimi.” Ngakho abantu bahamba.
6 And the king referred [the matter] to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do you advise that I should answer this people?
INkosi uRehobhowami wabuza abadala besizwe ababehlale njalo basebenza loyise uSolomoni esaphila. Wababuza abadala wathi: “Lingangicebisa ukuthi ngibaphendule ngithini lababantu?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you will this day be a servant to this people, and will serve them, and will speak to them good words, then will they be your servants continually.
Baphendula bathi, “Nxa lamuhla ungaba yinceku yalababantu, ubasebenzele, ukhulumisane labo kuhle, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence.
Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange akwamukele ukucebisa kwabadala wakhetha ukudinga ulwazi kwabayintanga yakhe ababekhule bonke njalo kuyibo abasebezinceku zakhe.
9 And he said to them, What counsel do you give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which your father has put upon us?
Wababuza wathi, “Seluleko bani elilaso? Singabaphendula sithini lababantu abathi kimi, ‘Ake uphungule ubunzima esabetheswa nguyihlo?’”
10 And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you say to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, and do you now lighten it from off us: thus shall say to them, My little [finger shall be] thicker than my father's loins.
Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe amphendula athi, “Batshele lababantu abathi kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wasethesa ubunzima, akusiphungulele lobubunzima’ uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
11 And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Ubaba walethesa ubunzima, mina ngizabungezelela. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngenkume.’”
12 And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day.
Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu uJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu babuyela kuRehobhowami, njengalokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi ukuthi, “Phendukani lize kimi ngemva kwensuku ezintathu.”
13 And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him.
Inkosi yasiphendula abantu ngolaka. Yalahla izicebiso eyayiziphiwe ngabadala,
14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
yalandela ukucebisa kwabatsha, yathi, “Ubaba walethesa ijogwe elinzima, mina ngizalenza libe nzima okuphindiweyo. Ubaba walixathula ngemichilo, mina ngizalintinyela ngenkume.”
15 And the king listened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
Ngakho inkosi ayizange ibalalele abantu, ngoba lokhu okwakusenzakala ngokwakuvela kuThixo, ukugcwalisa ilizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ngo-Ahija waseShilo.
16 And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to your tents: now feed your own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.
Kwathi bonke abako-Israyeli sebebonile ukuthi inkosi yalile ukubalalela, bayiphendula inkosi bathi: “Silesabelo bani kuDavida, yingxenye bani endodaneni kaJese? Emathenteni enu bako-Israyeli! Gcina indlu yakho, wena kaDavida!” Ngakho abako-Israyeli babuyela emakhaya.
Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebabusa abako-Israyeli ababehlala emadolobheni akoJuda.
18 And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem.
INkosi uRehobhowami yathuma u-Adoniramu, owayephethe izibhalwa, kodwa bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe bambulala. Kodwa iNkosi uRehobhowami, yona yenelisa ukubaleka ngenqola yempi yaya eJerusalema.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.
Kwathi bonke abako-Israyeli besizwa ukuthi uJerobhowamu usebuyile bambizela enkundleni lapho abafika bambeka ukuba abe yinkosi yalo lonke elako-Israyeli. Isizwana sakoJuda saba yiso sodwa esasala sibuswa yindlu kaDavida.
21 And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon.
Kwathi uRehobhowami esefike eJerusalema wabuthanisa bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini, amadoda empi azinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili ukuba bayekulwa labako-Israyeli ukuze babuyisele uRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni esihlalweni sobukhosi.
22 And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying,
Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu leza kuShemaya inceku kaNkulunkulu.
23 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
“Tshono kuRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakoJuda, kubo bonke abendlu kaJuda lekaBhenjamini, lakubo bonke abanye abantu uthi,
24 Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up, neither shall you fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they listened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.
‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: Lingahambi ukuyakulwa labafowenu, abako-Israyeli. Yanini emakhaya enu, munye ngamunye, ngoba lokhu okwenzakalayo kuvela kimi.’” Ngakho balilalela ilizwi likaThixo babuyela emakhaya abo, njengokulaywa kwabo nguThixo.
25 And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and lived in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel.
UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekhemu elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wahlala khonale. Esuka lapho waphuma wayakwakha ePheniweli.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
UJerobhowamu wacabanga wathi, “Umbuso usuzabuyela endlini kaDavida.
27 If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to the Lord, and to their master, to Roboam king of Juda, and they will kill me.
Nxa abantu laba bangayanikela imihlatshelo ethempelini likaThixo eJerusalema, bazaphinda baphe usekelo lwabo enkosini, uRehobhowami inkosi yakoJuda. Bazangibulala babuyele enkosini uRehobhowami.”
28 And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you to have gone [hitherto] to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Ngemva kokudinga ukwelulekwa, inkosi yenza amathole egolide amabili. Yasisithi ebantwini, “Kunzima kakhulu kini ukuthi liye eJerusalema. Nampa onkulunkulu benu, Oh Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.”
29 And he put one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan.
Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli, elinye njalo eDani.
30 And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord.
Lokhu kwaba yisono; abantu babesiya khonale eDani ukuyakhonza lelo elalikhonale.
31 And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
UJerobhowamu wakha amathempeli ezindaweni eziphakemeyo wasebeka abaphristi emihlotsheni yonke yabantu, lakulabo ababengasibo abaLevi.
32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Juda;
Wamisa umkhosi ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu ngenyanga yetshumi lasificaminwembili, owawunjengomkhosi owasusenziwa koJuda, wanikela imihlatshelo e-Alithareni. Lokhu wakwenza eBhetheli, enikela ematholeni ayewenzile. LeBhetheli wabeka abaphristi ezindaweni eziphezulu ayezenzile.
33 and went up to the altar which he made in Baethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Baethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.
Ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga yesificaminwembili, inyanga ayezikhethele yona, wanikela imihlatshelo e-alithareni ayelakhile eBhetheli. Ngakho wamisa umkhosi kwabako-Israyeli waya e-alithareni ukuyanikela imihlatshelo.
