1 Amakhosi 12
1 URehobhowamu wasesiya eShekema ngoba uIsrayeli wonke wayefike eShekema ukumbeka abe yinkosi.
Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel was coming to Shechem to make him king.
2 Kwasekusithi uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati, owayelokhu eseGibhithe, ekuzwa lokhu (ngoba wayebaleke esuka phambi kukaSolomoni inkosi, uJerobhowamu wahlala eGibhithe),
It happened that Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), for Jeroboam had settled down in Egypt.
3 bathuma bambiza. UJerobhowamu lebandla lonke lakoIsrayeli basebesiza bakhuluma loRehobhowamu besithi:
So they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam,
4 Uyihlo wenza ijogwe lethu laba lukhuni; ngakho-ke wena yenza kube lula umsebenzi olukhuni kayihlo, lejogwe lakhe elinzima abesithwalise lona, njalo sizakukhonza.
“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now make lighter the hard work of your father and make lighter the heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 Wasesithi kibo: Hambani futhi okwensuku ezintathu, libe selibuya kimi. Basebehamba abantu.
Rehoboam said to them, “Go away for three days, then come back to me.” So the people went away.
6 Inkosi uRehobhowamu yasicebisana labadala ababesima phambi kukaSolomoni uyise esaphila, isithi: Licebisa njani ukubuyisela impendulo kulababantu?
King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”
7 Basebekhuluma kuyo besithi: Uba uzakuba yinceku yalababantu lamuhla ubasebenzele, ubaphendule, ukhulume kibo amazwi amahle, khona bezakuba zinceku zakho zonke izinsuku.
They spoke to him and said, “If you will be a servant today to these people and serve them, and answer them by saying good words to them, then they will always be your servants.”
8 Kodwa wasitshiya iseluleko sabadala ababemeluleke ngaso, wacebisana lamajaha ayeyintanga yakhe, ayemi phambi kwakhe.
But Rehoboam ignored the advice that the old men had given him and he consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.
9 Wasesithi kuwo: Lipha seluleko bani ukuthi sibuyisele impendulo kulababantu abakhulume lami besithi: Yenza libe lulanyana ijogwe uyihlo alibeka phezu kwethu?
He said to them, “What advice do you give me that we may answer the people who spoke to me and said, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?”
10 Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe asekhuluma kuye esithi: Uzakutsho njalo kulababantu abakhuluma kuwe besithi: Uyihlo wenza ijogwe lethu laba nzima, kodwa wena yenza libe lulanyana kithi; uzakutsho njalo kibo: Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
The young men who had grown up with Rehoboam spoke to him, saying, “Speak to these people who told you that your father Solomon made their yoke heavy but that you must make it lighter. You should say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
11 Uba-ke ubaba walethwesa ijogwe elinzima, mina-ke ngizakwengezelela ejogweni lenu. Ubaba walijezisa ngeziswepu, kodwa mina ngizalijezisa ngabofezela.
So now, although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.'”
12 Ngakho uJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu beza kuRehobhowamu ngosuku lwesithathu njengokutsho kwenkosi isithi: Libuye kimi futhi ngosuku lwesithathu.
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had instructed when he said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
13 Inkosi yasibaphendula abantu kalukhuni, yatshiya iseluleko sabadala ababeyeluleke ngaso.
The king answered the people roughly and ignored the advice of the old men that they had given him.
14 Yakhuluma kubo njengokweseluleko samajaha isithi: Ubaba wenza ijogwe lenu laba nzima, kodwa mina ngizakwengezelela ejogweni lenu; ubaba walijezisa ngeziswepu, kodwa mina ngizalijezisa ngabofezela.
He spoke to them following the advice of the young men; he said, “My father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”
15 Ngalokho inkosi kayibalalelanga abantu; ngoba inguquko yayivela eNkosini ukuze iqinise ilizwi layo, iNkosi eyayilikhulume ngesandla sikaAhiya umShilo kuJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati.
So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events brought about by Yahweh, that he might carry out his word that he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 Lapho uIsrayeli wonke ebona ukuthi inkosi kayibalalelanga, abantu babuyisela impendulo enkosini besithi: Silesabelo bani kuDavida? Yebo, kasilalifa endodaneni kaJese. Emathenteni akho, Israyeli! Khathesi, zibonele indlu yakho, Davida. Ngakho uIsrayeli waya emathenteni akhe.
When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered him and said, “What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Go to your tents, Israel. Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel went back to their tents.
17 Mayelana labantwana bakoIsrayeli ababehlala emizini yakoJuda, uRehobhowamu wabusa phezu kwabo.
But as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam became king over them.
18 Khona inkosi uRehobhowamu yathuma uAdoniramu owayephezu kwezibhalwa; uIsrayeli wonke wasemkhanda ngamatshe waze wafa. Ngakho inkosi uRehobhowamu yakhwela masinyane inqola yayo, ukubalekela eJerusalema.
Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was over the forced laborers, but all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam fled quickly in his chariot to Jerusalem.
19 Ngokunjalo uIsrayeli wayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 Kwasekusithi uIsrayeli wonke esezwile ukuthi uJerobhowamu ubuyile, bathuma bambizela enhlanganweni, bamenza inkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli wonke; kakubanga khona olandela indlu kaDavida ngaphandle kwesizwe sakoJuda sodwa.
It happened that when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to their assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed the family of David, except only the tribe of Judah.
21 Kwathi uRehobhowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabuthanisa yonke indlu yakoJuda lesizwe sakoBhenjamini, abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, abalwa impi, ukulwa lendlu yakoIsrayeli, ukubuyisela umbuso kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni.
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin; there were 180,000 chosen men who were soldiers, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22 Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lafika kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu lisithi:
But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God; it said,
23 Khuluma kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakoJuda, lakuyo yonke indlu yakoJuda leyakoBhenjamini, lensali yabantu, uthi:
“Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people; say,
24 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lingenyuki njalo lingalwi labafowenu, abantwana bakoIsrayeli. Buyelani, ngulowo lalowo endlini yakhe; ngoba linto ivela kimi. Basebelilalela ilizwi leNkosi, babuyela ukuhamba, njengokwelizwi leNkosi.
'Yahweh says this: You must not attack or fight against your brothers the people of Israel. Each man must return to his home, for this thing has been made to happen by me.'” So they listened to the word of Yahweh and turned back and went their way, and they obeyed his word.
25 UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekema entabeni yakoEfrayimi, wahlala kuyo; wasephuma lapho wakha iPenuweli.
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. He went out from there and built Peniel.
26 UJerobhowamu wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Khathesi umbuso uzabuyela endlini kaDavida.
Jeroboam thought in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
27 Uba lesisizwe sisenyukela ukwenza imihlatshelo endlini yeNkosi eJerusalema, khona inhliziyo yalesisizwe izabuyela enkosini yabo, kuRehobhowamu inkosi yakoJuda, njalo bazangibulala babuyele kuRehobhowamu inkosi yakoJuda.
If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of Yahweh at Jerusalem, then the heart of these people will turn again to their master, to Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28 Ngakho inkosi yathatha icebo, yenza amathole amabili egolide, yathi kubo: Kunzima kakhulu kini ukwenyukela eJerusalema; khangela, onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula elizweni leGibhithe.
So King Jeroboam sought advice and made two calves of gold; he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, these are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
29 Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli, lelinye walifaka eDani.
He set up one in Bethel and the other in Dan.
30 Loludaba lwaselusiba yisono; ngoba abantu baya phambi kwelinye kuze kube seDani ukuyakhonza.
So this act became a sin. The people went to one or the other, all the way to Dan.
31 Wasesenza indlu yezindawo eziphakemeyo, wenza abapristi ngabaphansi kakhulu babantu, ababengeyisiwo bamadodana amaLevi.
Jeroboam made houses on high places and he also made priests from among all the people, who were not among the sons of Levi.
32 UJerobhowamu wasesenza umkhosi ngenyanga yesificaminwembili ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga njengomkhosi owawukoJuda, wanikela phezu kwelathi. Wenza njalo eBhetheli, ehlabela amathole ayewenzile. Wabeka eBhetheli abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ayezenzile.
Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had made.
33 Wasenikela phezu kwelathi ayelenzile eBhetheli ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu enyangeni yesificaminwembili, enyangeni ayeyiqambile evela enhliziyweni yakhe. Wenzela abantwana bakoIsrayeli umkhosi, wanikela phezu kwelathi etshisa impepha.
Jeroboam went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month he had planned in his own mind; he ordained a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
