1 Kings 12
1 And Rehoboam goes to Shechem, for all Israel has come to Shechem to make him king.
URehobhowami waya eShekhemu, njengoba abako-Israyeli bonke babeye khona ukuyambeka ukuba abe yinkosi.
2 And it comes to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat’s hearing (and he [is] yet in Egypt where he has fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwells in Egypt),
UJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi wakuzwa lokhu (elokhu eseGibhithe, lapho ayebalekele khona ebalekela inkosi uSolomoni) wabuya evela eGibhithe.
3 that they send and call for him; and they come—Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel—and speak to Rehoboam, saying,
Ngakho bakhupha ilizwi lokunxusa uJerobhowamu; kwathi yena labo bonke abako-Israyeli baya kuRehobhowami bafika bathi kuye:
4 “Your father hardened our yoke, and you, now, lighten [some] of the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we serve you.”
“Uyihlo wasethesa ijogwe elinzima kakhulu, wena phungula lumthwalo olochuku lejogwe elinzima esaletheswa nguyihlo, yikho sizakukhonza.”
5 And he says to them, “Yet go [for] three days, and come back to me”; and the people go.
URehobhowami waphendula wathi: “Sukani lapha okwensuku ezintathu beseliphenduka libuye kimi.” Ngakho abantu bahamba.
6 And King Rehoboam consults with the elderly who have been standing in the presence of his father Solomon, in his being alive, saying, “How are you counseling to 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 speak to him, saying, “If, today, you are a servant of this people, and have served them, and answered them, and spoken good words to them, then they have been servants to you [for] all the days.”
Baphendula bathi, “Nxa lamuhla ungaba yinceku yalababantu, ubasebenzele, ukhulumisane labo kuhle, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
8 And he forsakes the counsel of the elderly which they counseled him, and consults with the boys who have grown up with him, who are standing before him;
Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange akwamukele ukucebisa kwabadala wakhetha ukudinga ulwazi kwabayintanga yakhe ababekhule bonke njalo kuyibo abasebezinceku zakhe.
9 and he says to them, “What are you counseling, and we answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten [some] of the yoke that your father put on us?”
Wababuza wathi, “Seluleko bani elilaso? Singabaphendula sithini lababantu abathi kimi, ‘Ake uphungule ubunzima esabetheswa nguyihlo?’”
10 And they speak to him—the boys who had grown up with him—saying, “Thus you say to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, and you, make [it] light on us; thus you speak to them, My little [finger] is thicker than the loins of my father;
Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe amphendula athi, “Batshele lababantu abathi kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wasethesa ubunzima, akusiphungulele lobubunzima’ uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
11 and now, my father laid a heavy yoke on you, and I add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, and I discipline you with scorpions.”
Ubaba walethesa ubunzima, mina ngizabungezelela. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngenkume.’”
12 And they come—Jeroboam and all the people—to Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, “Come back 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 answers the people sharply, and forsakes the counsel of the elderly which they counseled him,
Inkosi yasiphendula abantu ngolaka. Yalahla izicebiso eyayiziphiwe ngabadala,
14 and speaks to them, according to the counsel of the boys, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, and I add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, and I discipline 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 did not listen to the people, for the revolution was from YHWH, in order to establish His word that YHWH spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
Ngakho inkosi ayizange ibalalele abantu, ngoba lokhu okwakusenzakala ngokwakuvela kuThixo, ukugcwalisa ilizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ngo-Ahija waseShilo.
16 And all Israel sees that the king has not listened to them, and the people send the king back word, saying, “What portion do we have in David? Indeed, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse; [return] to your tents, O Israel; now see your house, O David!” And Israel goes to its 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.
17 As for the sons of Israel, those dwelling in the cities of Judah—Rehoboam reigns over them.
Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebabusa abako-Israyeli ababehlala emadolobheni akoJuda.
18 And King Rehoboam sends Adoram who [is] over the tribute, and all Israel casts stones at him, and he dies; and King Rehoboam has strengthened himself to go up into a chariot 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 and Israel transgresses against the house of David to this day.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
20 And it comes to pass, at all Israel hearing that Jeroboam has returned, that they send and call him to the congregation, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none has been after the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.
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 Rehoboam comes to Jerusalem, and assembles all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam 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 God is to Shemaiah a man of God, saying,
Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu leza kuShemaya inceku kaNkulunkulu.
23 “Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying,
“Tshono kuRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakoJuda, kubo bonke abendlu kaJuda lekaBhenjamini, lakubo bonke abanye abantu uthi,
24 Thus said YHWH: You do not go up nor fight with your brothers the sons of Israel; let each return to his house, for this thing has been from Me”; and they hear the word of YHWH, and turn back to go according to the word of YHWH.
‘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 builds Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwells in it, and goes out there, and builds Penuel;
UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekhemu elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wahlala khonale. Esuka lapho waphuma wayakwakha ePheniweli.
26 and Jeroboam says in his heart, “Now the kingdom turns back to the house of David—
UJerobhowamu wacabanga wathi, “Umbuso usuzabuyela endlini kaDavida.
27 if this people goes up to make sacrifices in the house of YHWH in Jerusalem, then the heart of this people has turned back to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they have slain me, and turned back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
Nxa abantu laba bangayanikela imihlatshelo ethempelini likaThixo eJerusalema, bazaphinda baphe usekelo lwabo enkosini, uRehobhowami inkosi yakoJuda. Bazangibulala babuyele enkosini uRehobhowami.”
28 And the king takes counsel, and makes two calves of gold, and says to them, “Enough of you from going up to Jerusalem; behold, your gods, O Israel, which 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 sets the one in Beth-El, and the other he has put in Dan,
Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli, elinye njalo eDani.
30 and this thing becomes a sin, and the people go before the one—to Dan.
Lokhu kwaba yisono; abantu babesiya khonale eDani ukuyakhonza lelo elalikhonale.
31 And he makes the house of high places, and makes priests from the extremities 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 makes a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that [is] in Judah, and he offers on the altar—so he did in Beth-El—to sacrifice to the calves which he made, and he has appointed in Beth-El the priests of the high places that he made.
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 he offers up on the altar that he made in Beth-El, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he devised from his own heart, and he makes a festival for the sons of Israel, and offers on the altar—to make incense.
Ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga yesificaminwembili, inyanga ayezikhethele yona, wanikela imihlatshelo e-alithareni ayelakhile eBhetheli. Ngakho wamisa umkhosi kwabako-Israyeli waya e-alithareni ukuyanikela imihlatshelo.
