2 Imilando 13
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili wenkosi uJerobhowamu uAbhiya wasesiba yinkosi phezu kukaJuda.
When Jeroboam had been ruling [Israel] for almost 18 years, Abijah became the king of Judah.
2 Wabusa iminyaka emithathu eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguMikhaya indodakazi kaUriyeli weGibeya. Kwasekusiba khona impi phakathi kukaAbhiya loJerobhowamu.
He ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Micaiah (OR, Maacah), the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah [town]. There was a war between [the armies of] Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 UAbhiya wasehlela impi elebutho lamaqhawe empi, amadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane. UJerobhowamu wasehlela impi ukumelana laye elamadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisificaminwembili, amaqhawe alamandla.
Abijah went into the battle, taking 400,000 of his capable soldiers, and Jeroboam prepared to fight them, taking 800,000 of his capable troops.
4 UAbhiya wasesima entabeni iZemarayimi esentabeni yakoEfrayimi wathi: Ngizwa Jerobhowamu, loIsrayeli wonke!
Abijah stood on the top of Zemaraim Mountain, which is in the hilly area that belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and he shouted, “Jeroboam and all you other people of Israel, listen to me!
5 Kakusikwenu yini ukwazi ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yanika uDavida umbuso phezu kukaIsrayeli phakade, kuye lakumadodana akhe ngesivumelwano setshwayi?
You should know that Yahweh, the God to whom all we Israelis belong, has appointed David and his descendants to be the kings of Israel forever. He has confirmed that by making a permanent agreement.
6 Kodwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati, inceku kaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, wasukuma wavukela inkosi yakhe.
But Jeroboam, who was [only] an official of David’s son King Solomon, rebelled against his king.
7 Kwasekubuthana kuye abantu abayize, abantwana bakaBheliyali, baziqinisa ukumelana loRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, uRehobhowamu esesengumfana njalo ebuthakathaka ngenhliziyo engemelane labo.
And when Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king and was still young and inexperienced, a group of worthless scoundrels gathered around you, Jeroboam, and rebelled against Rehoboam.
8 Khathesi-ke lina lithi lizamelana lombuso weNkosi esandleni samadodana kaDavida; futhi lilixuku elikhulu, kodwa lilamathole egolide uJerobhowamu alenzela wona abe ngonkulunkulu.
“And now you are planning to fight against the kingdom that Yahweh established to be governed by David’s descendants. It is true that you have a huge army, and you and your soldiers have brought with you the golden [statues of] calves that Jeroboam’s workers made to be gods for all of you.
9 Kalibaxotshanga yini abapristi beNkosi, amadodana kaAroni, lamaLevi, lazenzela abapristi njengezizwe zelizwe? Loba ngubani ozegcwalisa isandla sakhe ngejongosi, ithole lenkomo, lezinqama eziyisikhombisa uba ngumpristi wabangeyisibo onkulunkulu.
But you expelled the priests that Yahweh [appointed], men who are descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest], and you expelled the descendants of Levi, and you appointed the priests that you wanted, like the people of other countries do. You allow anyone to become a priest of idols that are not gods if he comes to dedicate himself to be a priest by sacrificing a young bull and seven rams.
10 Kodwa thina, iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wethu, kasiyidelanga; labapristi abayikhonzayo iNkosi bangamadodana kaAroni, lamaLevi asemsebenzini.
“As for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Our priests who serve Yahweh are descendants of Aaron, and the descendants of Levi assist them.
11 Njalo bayahlabela iNkosi ikuseni ngekuseni lentambama ngentambama iminikelo yokutshiswa lempepha elephunga elimnandi; lokulungisa izinkwa etafuleni elihlambulukileyo, lokulumathisa uluthi lwesibane lwegolide lezibane zalo kusihlwa ngakusihlwa. Ngoba thina sigcina umlindo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, kodwa lina liyidelile.
Every morning and every evening they present to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned [on the altar], and they burn fragrant incense. [Each week] they place the sacred bread on the sacred table, and each morning they light the lamps that are on the gold lampstand. We are obeying what Yahweh our God requires us to do. But you have abandoned him.
12 Ngakho khangelani, uNkulunkulu ulathi eyinhloko, labapristi bakhe belempondo zokukhalisa ukuhlaba umkhosi bemelene lani. Bantwana bakoIsrayeli, lingalwi leNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, ngoba kaliyikuphumelela.
Yahweh is with us; he is our leader. The priests whom he has appointed will blow their trumpets to signal [that we are ready] to fight a battle against you. You Israeli men, do not fight against Yahweh, the God to whom your ancestors belonged, because you will not be successful and win the battle against him.”
13 Kodwa uJerobhowamu wayebhodise abacathameli ukuthi beze bengasemva kwabo. Ngakho babephambi kukaJuda, labacathameli bengemva kwabo.
[While he was speaking, ] Jeroboam sent some of his troops around the army of Judah. So while the soldiers who were with Jeroboam were in front of the army of Judah, the other soldiers of Israel were behind the army of Judah.
14 Lapho uJuda ephenduka, khangela-ke, impi yayimelene labo ngaphambili langemuva; basebekhala eNkosini, labapristi bakhalisa izimpondo,
When the soldiers of Judah turned and saw that they were going to be attacked from the front and from the rear, they cried out to Yahweh. The priests blew their trumpets,
15 labantu bakoJuda bamemeza; kwasekusithi ekumemezeni kwabantu bakoJuda uNkulunkulu watshaya oJerobhowamu loIsrayeli wonke phambi kukaAbhiya loJuda.
and the men of Judah shouted a loud battle-cry. Then Yahweh [enabled Abijah and the army of Judah to] defeat Jeroboam and [the army of] Israel.
16 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebaleka phambi kobuso bukaJuda, uNkulunkulu wasebanikela esandleni sabo.
The soldiers of Israel fled from the soldiers of Judah, and God enabled the army of Judah to defeat them.
17 UAbhiya labantu bakhe basebebatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu; kwasekusiwa ababuleweyo koIsrayeli, amadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.
Abijah and his troops struck the capable soldiers of Israel and killed 500,000 of them.
18 Ngokunjalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bathotshiswa ngalesosikhathi, labantwana bakoJuda baba lamandla ngoba beyama eNkosini, uNkulunkulu waboyise.
So the soldiers of Israel were defeated, and the soldiers of Judah won the battle because they trusted in Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged.
19 UAbhiya wasexotshana loJerobhowamu, wathumba imizi kuye, iBhetheli lemizana yayo, leJeshana lemizana yayo, leEfroni lemizana yayo.
Abijah’s army pursued the army of Jeroboam, and they captured from the people of Israel the cities of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the surrounding villages.
20 UJerobhowamu akabe esaba lamandla ensukwini zikaAbhiya. INkosi yasimtshaya, wafa.
During the remaining time that Abijah ruled, Jeroboam did not become powerful again. Then Yahweh caused him to become very ill, and he died.
21 Kodwa uAbhiya waziqinisa, wazithathela abafazi abalitshumi lane, wazala amadodana angamatshumi amabili lambili, lamadodakazi alitshumi lesithupha.
But Abijah became more powerful. He married 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.
22 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaAbhiya, lezindlela zakhe, lamazwi akhe, kubhaliwe ezindabeni zomprofethi uIdo.
An account of the other things that Abijah did while he was the king, including what he said and what he did, is in the scroll written by the prophet Iddo.
