2 Imilando 13

1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificaminwembili wokubusa kukaJerobhowamu, u-Abhija waba yinkosi yakoJuda,

NOW in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

2 njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka emithathu. Ibizo likanina lalinguMikhaya, indodakazi ka-Uriyeli waseGibhiya. Kwaba lempi phakathi kuka-Abhija loJerobhowamu.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Bathi behlangana ekulweni, u-Abhija wayelamadoda aqinileyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane, kanti uJerobhowamu wahlangabezana laye elamadoda azinkulungwane ezificaminwembili.

And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.

4 U-Abhija wema phezu kweNtaba iZemarayimu, elizweni lamaqaqa lako-Efrayimi, wathi: “Wena Jerobhowamu kanye laye wonke u-Israyeli, lalelani kimi, lizwe!

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

5 Alikwazi na ukuthi uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, unikele ubukhosi bako-Israyeli kuDavida lenzalo yakhe kuze kube nininini ngesivumelwano setswayi na?

Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6 Kukanti uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi, isikhulu sikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, uhlamukele inkosi yakhe.

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

7 Abantu ababi bamlandela behlamukela uRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni esesemncinyane engakaqedisisi njalo engakabi lamandla okumelana labo.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

8 Khathesi licabanga ukumelana lombuso kaThixo, ophethwe ngamadodana kaDavida ngoba libona libanengi kakhulu, lilamathole eGolide elawenzelwa nguJerobhowamu ukuba abe ngonkulunkulu.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 Kalibaxotshanga yini abaphristi bakaThixo, amadodana ka-Aroni, kanye labaLevi, lazibekela abenu abaphristi njengalokhu okwenziwa ngabantu bamanye amazwe na? Kuthi lowo ofika elenkunzi loba inqama eziyisikhombisa ukuba ahlukaniselwe uThixo waba ngumphristi walokho okungayisikho onkulunkulu.

Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10 Kodwa thina, uThixo uNkulunkulu ngowethu, asimdelanga. Thina abaphristi esilabo ngamadodana ka-Aroni, amkhonzayo uThixo, njalo baphathiswa ngabaLevi.

But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

11 Bayanikela kuThixo ekuseni lantambama insuku zonke iminikelo yokutshiswa lempepha elephunga elihle. Bayalungisa izinkwa ezahlukaniselwe uThixo etafuleni legolide elihle, balumathise izibane oluthini lwegolide ntambama nsuku zonke. Thina siyawulalela umlayo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu. Kodwa lina limdelile.

And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him.

12 UNkulunkulu ulathi, nguye osikhokhelayo. Abaphristi bakhe abaphethe amacilongo bazawavuthela besibizela ekulweni lani. Madoda ako-Israyeli, lingabokulwa loThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu, ngoba aliyikuphumelela.”

And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 UJerobhowamu wayesethumele elinye iviyo lamabutho akhe ngemva ukuze athi yena ejamelane labakoJuda phambili lona licathamele ngemva kwabo.

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

14 AbakoJuda bafulathela kodwa babona ukuthi babehlaselwa inxa zonke phambili langemva kwabo. Bakhala kuThixo. Abaphristi bevuthela amacilongo abo

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 kwathi abakoJuda bakhwaza ngephimbo lokuhlasela empini. Kuthe kuzwakala ukukhwaza ngephimbo lokuhlasela, uNkulunkulu wabhuqa uJerobhowamu labo bonke abako-Israyeli phambi kuka-Abhija labakoJuda.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 Abako-Israyeli babalekela abakoJuda njalo uNkulunkulu wabanikela ezandleni zabo.

And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

17 U-Abhija lamabutho akhe babulala amadoda amanengi kakhulu, kwafa amadoda ako-Israyeli aqinileyo empini azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amahlanu.

And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18 Amadoda ako-Israyeli aqinileyo ngalesosikhathi anqotshwa, kwathi abakoJuda baphumelela ngoba babethembele kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.

19 U-Abhija waxotshana loJerobhowamu wamthathela amadolobho eBhetheli, leleJeshana kanye lele-Efroni, lemizi eyayiseduzane khonapho.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

20 UJerobhowamu kazange abuse futhi kusabusa u-Abhija. UThixo wamtshaya wafa.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

21 Kodwa u-Abhija waqina waba lamandla embusweni. Wathatha abafazi abalitshumi lane waba lamadodana angamatshumi amabili lamadodakazi alitshumi lesithupha.

But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 Ezinye izehlakalo ekubuseni kuka-Abhija, akwenzayo lakutshoyo, kulotshiwe ezindabeni zomphrofethi u-Ido.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.