1 Kings 12
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
URehobhowami waya eShekhemu, njengoba abako-Israyeli bonke babeye khona ukuyambeka ukuba abe yinkosi.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was yet in Egypt, wither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt,
UJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi wakuzwa lokhu (elokhu eseGibhithe, lapho ayebalekele khona ebalekela inkosi uSolomoni) wabuya evela eGibhithe.
3 and they sent and called him; ) that Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
Ngakho bakhupha ilizwi lokunxusa uJerobhowamu; kwathi yena labo bonke abako-Israyeli baya kuRehobhowami bafika bathi kuye:
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
“Uyihlo wasethesa ijogwe elinzima kakhulu, wena phungula lumthwalo olochuku lejogwe elinzima esaletheswa nguyihlo, yikho sizakukhonza.”
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
URehobhowami waphendula wathi: “Sukani lapha okwensuku ezintathu beseliphenduka libuye kimi.” Ngakho abantu bahamba.
6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
INkosi uRehobhowami wabuza abadala besizwe ababehlale njalo basebenza loyise uSolomoni esaphila. Wababuza abadala wathi: “Lingangicebisa ukuthi ngibaphendule ngithini lababantu?”
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
Baphendula bathi, “Nxa lamuhla ungaba yinceku yalababantu, ubasebenzele, ukhulumisane labo kuhle, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him.
Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange akwamukele ukucebisa kwabadala wakhetha ukudinga ulwazi kwabayintanga yakhe ababekhule bonke njalo kuyibo abasebezinceku zakhe.
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?
Wababuza wathi, “Seluleko bani elilaso? Singabaphendula sithini lababantu abathi kimi, ‘Ake uphungule ubunzima esabetheswa nguyihlo?’”
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe amphendula athi, “Batshele lababantu abathi kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wasethesa ubunzima, akusiphungulele lobubunzima’ uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Ubaba walethesa ubunzima, mina ngizabungezelela. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngenkume.’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.
Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu uJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu babuyela kuRehobhowami, njengalokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi ukuthi, “Phendukani lize kimi ngemva kwensuku ezintathu.”
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him;
Inkosi yasiphendula abantu ngolaka. Yalahla izicebiso eyayiziphiwe ngabadala,
14 and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions;
yalandela ukucebisa kwabatsha, yathi, “Ubaba walethesa ijogwe elinzima, mina ngizalenza libe nzima okuphindiweyo. Ubaba walixathula ngemichilo, mina ngizalintinyela ngenkume.”
15 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was a thing brought about of the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Ngakho inkosi ayizange ibalalele abantu, ngoba lokhu okwakusenzakala ngokwakuvela kuThixo, ukugcwalisa ilizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ngo-Ahija waseShilo.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
Kwathi bonke abako-Israyeli sebebonile ukuthi inkosi yalile ukubalalela, bayiphendula inkosi bathi: “Silesabelo bani kuDavida, yingxenye bani endodaneni kaJese? Emathenteni enu bako-Israyeli! Gcina indlu yakho, wena kaDavida!” Ngakho abako-Israyeli babuyela emakhaya.
17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebabusa abako-Israyeli ababehlala emadolobheni akoJuda.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the levy; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
INkosi uRehobhowami yathuma u-Adoniramu, owayephethe izibhalwa, kodwa bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe bambulala. Kodwa iNkosi uRehobhowami, yona yenelisa ukubaleka ngenqola yempi yaya eJerusalema.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David, unto this day.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
Kwathi bonke abako-Israyeli besizwa ukuthi uJerobhowamu usebuyile bambizela enkundleni lapho abafika bambeka ukuba abe yinkosi yalo lonke elako-Israyeli. Isizwana sakoJuda saba yiso sodwa esasala sibuswa yindlu kaDavida.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
Kwathi uRehobhowami esefike eJerusalema wabuthanisa bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini, amadoda empi azinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili ukuba bayekulwa labako-Israyeli ukuze babuyisele uRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni esihlalweni sobukhosi.
22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Kodwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu leza kuShemaya inceku kaNkulunkulu.
23 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
“Tshono kuRehobhowami indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakoJuda, kubo bonke abendlu kaJuda lekaBhenjamini, lakubo bonke abanye abantu uthi,
24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened unto the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way, according to the word of the LORD.
‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: Lingahambi ukuyakulwa labafowenu, abako-Israyeli. Yanini emakhaya enu, munye ngamunye, ngoba lokhu okwenzakalayo kuvela kimi.’” Ngakho balilalela ilizwi likaThixo babuyela emakhaya abo, njengokulaywa kwabo nguThixo.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and he went out from thence, and built Penuel.
UJerobhowamu wasesakha iShekhemu elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi wahlala khonale. Esuka lapho waphuma wayakwakha ePheniweli.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
UJerobhowamu wacabanga wathi, “Umbuso usuzabuyela endlini kaDavida.
27 if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah; and they shall kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.
Nxa abantu laba bangayanikela imihlatshelo ethempelini likaThixo eJerusalema, bazaphinda baphe usekelo lwabo enkosini, uRehobhowami inkosi yakoJuda. Bazangibulala babuyele enkosini uRehobhowami.”
28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Ngemva kokudinga ukwelulekwa, inkosi yenza amathole egolide amabili. Yasisithi ebantwini, “Kunzima kakhulu kini ukuthi liye eJerusalema. Nampa onkulunkulu benu, Oh Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.”
29 And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.
Wasemisa elinye eBhetheli, elinye njalo eDani.
30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, even unto Dan.
Lokhu kwaba yisono; abantu babesiya khonale eDani ukuyakhonza lelo elalikhonale.
31 And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
UJerobhowamu wakha amathempeli ezindaweni eziphakemeyo wasebeka abaphristi emihlotsheni yonke yabantu, lakulabo ababengasibo abaLevi.
32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he went up unto the altar; so did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.
Wamisa umkhosi ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu ngenyanga yetshumi lasificaminwembili, owawunjengomkhosi owasusenziwa koJuda, wanikela imihlatshelo e-Alithareni. Lokhu wakwenza eBhetheli, enikela ematholeni ayewenzile. LeBhetheli wabeka abaphristi ezindaweni eziphezulu ayezenzile.
33 And he went up unto the altar which he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up unto the altar, to burn incense.
Ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga yesificaminwembili, inyanga ayezikhethele yona, wanikela imihlatshelo e-alithareni ayelakhile eBhetheli. Ngakho wamisa umkhosi kwabako-Israyeli waya e-alithareni ukuyanikela imihlatshelo.
