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 had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.
2 Kodwa ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu lisithi:
But the LORD’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
3 Khuluma kuRehobhowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakoJuda, lakuIsrayeli wonke koJuda lakoBhenjamini, uthi:
“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,
4 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Kaliyikwenyuka njalo lingalwi labafowenu. Buyelani ngulowo endlini yakhe, ngoba linto yenziwe yimi. Basebelilalela ilizwi leNkosi, baphenduka ekuyenimelana loJerobhowamu.
‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers! Every man return to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to the LORD’s words, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
5 URehobhowamu wasehlala eJerusalema, wakha imizi eyizinqaba koJuda.
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.
6 Wasesakha iBhethelehema leEtamu leThekhowa
He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,
7 leBeti-Zuri leSoko leAdulamu
Beth Zur, Soco, 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, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin.
11 Waseqinisa izinqaba, wabeka abalawulimabutho kizo, leziphala zokudla lamafutha lewayini.
He fortified the strongholds and put captains 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 every city, and made them exceedingly strong. 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 stood with him out of all their territory.
14 Ngoba amaLevi atshiya amadlelo awo lemfuyo yabo, aya koJuda leJerusalema, ngoba uJerobhowamu lamadodana akhe bawala ekusebenzeleni iNkosi njengabapristi;
For the Levites left their pasture lands and their possessions, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest’s office to the LORD.
15 wasezibekela abapristi bendawo eziphakemeyo, labamadimoni, labamathole ayewenzile.
He himself appointed priests for the high places, for the male goat and calf idols which 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.
After them, out of all the tribes of Israel, those who set their hearts to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, 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 the son of Solomon strong for three years, for they walked 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 the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse.
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 her, he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and 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 the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for 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 the son of Maacah to be chief, the prince amongst his brothers, for he intended to make him king.
23 Wenza ngokuhlakanipha, wasabalalisa kuwo wonke amadodana akhe emazweni wonke akoJuda lakoBhenjamini, kuwo wonke umuzi obiyelweyo, wawanika ukudla ngobunengi, wadinga inengi labafazi.
He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. He gave them food in abundance; and he sought many wives for them.
