1 Amakhosi 12
1 URehobhowami waya eShekhemu, njengoba abako-Israyeli bonke babeye khona ukuyambeka ukuba abe yinkosi.
And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.
2 UJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi wakuzwa lokhu (elokhu eseGibhithe, lapho ayebalekele khona ebalekela inkosi uSolomoni) wabuya evela eGibhithe.
But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.
3 Ngakho bakhupha ilizwi lokunxusa uJerobhowamu; kwathi yena labo bonke abako-Israyeli baya kuRehobhowami bafika bathi kuye:
And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:
4 “Uyihlo wasethesa ijogwe elinzima kakhulu, wena phungula lumthwalo olochuku lejogwe elinzima esaletheswa nguyihlo, yikho sizakukhonza.”
Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now therefore do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 URehobhowami waphendula wathi: “Sukani lapha okwensuku ezintathu beseliphenduka libuye kimi.” Ngakho abantu bahamba.
And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,
6 INkosi uRehobhowami wabuza abadala besizwe ababehlale njalo basebenza loyise uSolomoni esaphila. Wababuza abadala wathi: “Lingangicebisa ukuthi ngibaphendule ngithini lababantu?”
King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people?
7 Baphendula bathi, “Nxa lamuhla ungaba yinceku yalababantu, ubasebenzele, ukhulumisane labo kuhle, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people today, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.
8 Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange akwamukele ukucebisa kwabadala wakhetha ukudinga ulwazi kwabayintanga yakhe ababekhule bonke njalo kuyibo abasebezinceku zakhe.
But he left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and stood before him.
9 Wababuza wathi, “Seluleko bani elilaso? Singabaphendula sithini lababantu abathi kimi, ‘Ake uphungule ubunzima esabetheswa nguyihlo?’”
And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter?
10 Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe amphendula athi, “Batshele lababantu abathi kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wasethesa ubunzima, akusiphungulele lobubunzima’ uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 Ubaba walethesa ubunzima, mina ngizabungezelela. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngenkume.’”
And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
12 Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu uJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu babuyela kuRehobhowami, njengalokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi ukuthi, “Phendukani lize kimi ngemva kwensuku ezintathu.”
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again the third day.
13 Inkosi yasiphendula abantu ngolaka. Yalahla izicebiso eyayiziphiwe ngabadala,
And the king answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,
14 yalandela ukucebisa kwabatsha, yathi, “Ubaba walethesa ijogwe elinzima, mina ngizalenza libe nzima okuphindiweyo. Ubaba walixathula ngemichilo, mina ngizalintinyela ngenkume.”
And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
15 Ngakho inkosi ayizange ibalalele abantu, ngoba lokhu okwakusenzakala ngokwakuvela kuThixo, ukugcwalisa ilizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ngo-Ahija waseShilo.
And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
16 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.
Then the people seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai? Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now David look to thy own house. So Israel departed to their dwellings.
17 Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebabusa abako-Israyeli ababehlala emadolobheni akoJuda.
But as for all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam reigned over them.
18 INkosi uRehobhowami yathuma u-Adoniramu, owayephethe izibhalwa, kodwa bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe bambulala. Kodwa iNkosi uRehobhowami, yona yenelisa ukubaleka ngenqola yempi yaya eJerusalema.
Then king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died. Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem:
19 Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.
20 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.
And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda only.
21 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.
And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred four-score thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam the son of Solomon.
22 Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu leza kuShemaya inceku kaNkulunkulu.
But the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:
23 “Tshono kuRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakoJuda, kubo bonke abendlu kaJuda lekaBhenjamini, lakubo bonke abanye abantu uthi,
Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying:
24 ‘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.
Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.
25 UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekhemu elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wahlala khonale. Esuka lapho waphuma wayakwakha ePheniweli.
And Jeroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence he built Phanuel.
26 UJerobhowamu wacabanga wathi, “Umbuso usuzabuyela endlini kaDavida.
And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David,
27 Nxa abantu laba bangayanikela imihlatshelo ethempelini likaThixo eJerusalema, bazaphinda baphe usekelo lwabo enkosini, uRehobhowami inkosi yakoJuda. Bazangibulala babuyele enkosini uRehobhowami.”
If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.
28 Ngemva kokudinga ukwelulekwa, inkosi yenza amathole egolide amabili. Yasisithi ebantwini, “Kunzima kakhulu kini ukuthi liye eJerusalema. Nampa onkulunkulu benu, Oh Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.”
And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
29 Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli, elinye njalo eDani.
And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:
30 Lokhu kwaba yisono; abantu babesiya khonale eDani ukuyakhonza lelo elalikhonale.
And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf as far as Dan.
31 UJerobhowamu wakha amathempeli ezindaweni eziphakemeyo wasebeka abaphristi emihlotsheni yonke yabantu, lakulabo ababengasibo abaLevi.
And he made temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 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.
And he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda. And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made.
33 Ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga yesificaminwembili, inyanga ayezikhethele yona, wanikela imihlatshelo e-alithareni ayelakhile eBhetheli. Ngakho wamisa umkhosi kwabako-Israyeli waya e-alithareni ukuyanikela imihlatshelo.
And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went upon the altar to burn incense.
