2 Imilando 13
1 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili wenkosi uJerobhowamu uAbhiya wasesiba yinkosi phezu kukaJuda.
In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
2 Wabusa iminyaka emithathu eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguMikhaya indodakazi kaUriyeli weGibeya. Kwasekusiba khona impi phakathi kukaAbhiya loJerobhowamu.
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between 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 joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valour.
4 UAbhiya wasesima entabeni iZemarayimi esentabeni yakoEfrayimi wathi: Ngizwa Jerobhowamu, loIsrayeli wonke!
Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
5 Kakusikwenu yini ukwazi ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli yanika uDavida umbuso phezu kukaIsrayeli phakade, kuye lakumadodana akhe ngesivumelwano setshwayi?
Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Kodwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati, inceku kaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, wasukuma wavukela inkosi yakhe.
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.
7 Kwasekubuthana kuye abantu abayize, abantwana bakaBheliyali, baziqinisa ukumelana loRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, uRehobhowamu esesengumfana njalo ebuthakathaka ngenhliziyo engemelane labo.
Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.
8 Khathesi-ke lina lithi lizamelana lombuso weNkosi esandleni samadodana kaDavida; futhi lilixuku elikhulu, kodwa lilamathole egolide uJerobhowamu alenzela wona abe ngonkulunkulu.
“Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods are with 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.
Haven’t you driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.
10 Kodwa thina, iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wethu, kasiyidelanga; labapristi abayikhonzayo iNkosi bangamadodana kaAroni, lamaLevi asemsebenzini.
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work.
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.
They burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table, and care for the gold lamp stand with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him.
12 Ngakho khangelani, uNkulunkulu ulathi eyinhloko, labapristi bakhe belempondo zokukhalisa ukuhlaba umkhosi bemelene lani. Bantwana bakoIsrayeli, lingalwi leNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, ngoba kaliyikuphumelela.
Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the shofars of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”
13 Kodwa uJerobhowamu wayebhodise abacathameli ukuthi beze bengasemva kwabo. Ngakho babephambi kukaJuda, labacathameli bengemva kwabo.
But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
14 Lapho uJuda ephenduka, khangela-ke, impi yayimelene labo ngaphambili langemuva; basebekhala eNkosini, labapristi bakhalisa izimpondo,
When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the shofars.
15 labantu bakoJuda bamemeza; kwasekusithi ekumemezeni kwabantu bakoJuda uNkulunkulu watshaya oJerobhowamu loIsrayeli wonke phambi kukaAbhiya loJuda.
Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebaleka phambi kobuso bukaJuda, uNkulunkulu wasebanikela esandleni sabo.
The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.
17 UAbhiya labantu bakhe basebebatshaya ngokutshaya okukhulu; kwasekusiwa ababuleweyo koIsrayeli, amadoda akhethiweyo azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.
Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.
18 Ngokunjalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli bathotshiswa ngalesosikhathi, labantwana bakoJuda baba lamandla ngoba beyama eNkosini, uNkulunkulu waboyise.
Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
19 UAbhiya wasexotshana loJerobhowamu, wathumba imizi kuye, iBhetheli lemizana yayo, leJeshana lemizana yayo, leEfroni lemizana yayo.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.
20 UJerobhowamu akabe esaba lamandla ensukwini zikaAbhiya. INkosi yasimtshaya, wafa.
Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah. The LORD struck him, and he died.
21 Kodwa uAbhiya waziqinisa, wazithathela abafazi abalitshumi lane, wazala amadodana angamatshumi amabili lambili, lamadodakazi alitshumi lesithupha.
But Abijah grew mighty and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaAbhiya, lezindlela zakhe, lamazwi akhe, kubhaliwe ezindabeni zomprofethi uIdo.
The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
