2 Imilando 11
1 URehobhowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabuthanisa indlu yakoJuda leyakoBhenjamini, abakhethiweyo abazinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, abalwa impi, ukuze balwe loIsrayeli ukubuyisela umbuso kuRehobhowamu.
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were soldiers, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 Kodwa ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu lisithi:
But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 Khuluma kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakoJuda, lakuIsrayeli wonke koJuda lakoBhenjamini, uthi:
“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin,
4 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Kaliyikwenyuka njalo lingalwi labafowenu. Buyelani ngulowo endlini yakhe, ngoba linto yenziwe yimi. Basebelilalela ilizwi leNkosi, baphenduka ekuyenimelana loJerobhowamu.
'Yahweh says this, “You must not attack or make war against your brothers. Everyone must return to his own house, for I have caused this to happen.”'” So they obeyed the words of Yahweh and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
5 URehobhowamu wasehlala eJerusalema, wakha imizi eyizinqaba koJuda.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities in Judah for defense.
6 Wasesakha iBhethelehema leEtamu leThekhowa
He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 leBeti-Zuri leSoko leAdulamu
Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam,
8 leGathi leMaresha leZifi
Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,
9 leAdorayimi leLakishi leAzeka
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
10 leZora leAjaloni leHebroni, eyayikoJuda lakoBhenjamini, imizi ebiyelweyo.
Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin.
11 Waseqinisa izinqaba, wabeka abalawulimabutho kizo, leziphala zokudla lamafutha lewayini.
He fortified the fortresses and put commanders in them, with stores of food, oil, and wine.
12 Lakuwo wonke umuzi lomuzi wabeka izihlangu ezinkulu lemikhonto, wayiqinisa kakhulukazi. Njalo uJuda loBhenjamini babengabakhe.
He put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
13 Labapristi lamaLevi ababekoIsrayeli wonke bazimisa kuye bevela kuyo yonke imingcele yabo.
The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel went over to him from within their borders.
14 Ngoba amaLevi atshiya amadlelo awo lemfuyo yabo, aya koJuda leJerusalema, ngoba uJerobhowamu lamadodana akhe bawala ekusebenzeleni iNkosi njengabapristi;
For the Levites left their pasturelands and property in order to come to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had driven them away, so that they could no longer perform priestly duties for Yahweh.
15 wasezibekela abapristi bendawo eziphakemeyo, labamadimoni, labamathole ayewenzile.
Jeroboam appointed for himself priests for the high places and the goat and calf idols he had made.
16 Lemva kwawo kweza eJerusalema labo ababenikele inhliziyo yabo ukuyidinga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, bevela kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, ukuyahlabela iNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyise.
People from all the tribes of Israel came after them, those who set their hearts to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel; they came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
17 Ngokunjalo bawuqinisa umbuso wakoJuda, benza uRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni waba lamandla iminyaka emithathu; ngoba bahamba endleleni kaDavida loSolomoni iminyaka emithathu.
So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam son of Solomon strong during three years, and they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
18 URehobhowamu wasezithathela uMahalathi indodakazi kaJerimothi indodana kaDavida waba ngumkakhe, loAbihayili indodakazi kaEliyabi indodana kaJese,
Rehoboam took a wife for himself: Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, Jesse's son.
19 owamzalela amadodana, oJewushi loShemariya loZahamu.
She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 Langemva kwakhe wathatha uMahaka indodakazi kaAbisalomu, owamzalela oAbhiya loAthayi loZiza loShelomithi.
After Mahalath, Rehoboam took Maacah, Absalom's daughter; she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
21 URehobhowamu wasemthanda uMahaka indodakazi kaAbisalomu okwedlula bonke omkakhe labafazi bakhe abancinyane - ngoba wathatha abafazi abalitshumi lesificaminwembili, labafazi abancinyane abangamatshumi ayisithupha, wazala amadodana angamatshumi amabili lesificaminwembili lamadodakazi angamatshumi ayisithupha.
Rehoboam loved Maacah, Absalom's daughter, more than all his other wives and his concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).
22 URehobhowamu wasebeka uAbhiya indodana kaMahaka waba yinhloko ukubusa phakathi kwabafowabo, ngoba kwakuyikumenza inkosi.
Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah to be chief, a leader among his brothers; he had the thought of making him king.
23 Wenza ngokuhlakanipha, wasabalalisa kuwo wonke amadodana akhe emazweni wonke akoJuda lakoBhenjamini, kuwo wonke umuzi obiyelweyo, wawanika ukudla ngobunengi, wadinga inengi labafazi.
Rehoboam ruled wisely; he scattered all his sons throughout all the land of Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. He also gave them food in abundance and looked for many wives for them.
