2 Chronicles 10
1 All the people of Israel went to Shechem [city] in order to appoint Rehoboam to be their king. So Rehoboam also went there.
URehobhowami waya eShekhemu ngoba bonke abako-Israyeli babeye khona ukuze bamethese ubukhosi.
2 Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had fled to Egypt [to escape] from King Solomon. But when he heard [about the people wanting to appoint Rehoboam to be their king], he returned [to Israel] from Egypt
Kwathi uJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi ekuzwa lokhu (wayeseGibhithe lapho abuya evela khona ngoba wayebalekele inkosi uSolomoni.)
3 So the [leaders of the northern tribes] summoned him, and he went with them [to talk] to Rehoboam. They said to Rehoboam,
Abako-Israyeli basebethumela ilizwi bembiza uJerobhowamu, kwathi-ke yena kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli baya kuRehobhowami bafika bathi:
4 “Your father [Solomon] forced us to work very hard for him. If you do not force us to work that hard, and if you charge us less taxes than we were paying to him, we will serve you [faithfully].”
“Uyihlo wasithwalisa umthwalo onzima, kodwa wena khathesi ake uphungule ubunzima asethesa bona, wethule lemithwalo yethu enzima abesithwalise yona, yikho sizakukhonza.”
5 He replied, “Come back three days from now [and I will give you my answer].” So those leaders [and Jeroboam] left.
URehobhowami wabaphendula wathi: “Libobuya ngemva kwensuku ezintathu.” Ngakho abantu basuka bahamba.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted his older men who had advised his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, “What shall I say to answer these men?”
INkosi uRehobhowami yasicebisana labadala ababeloyise uSolomoni esaphila, yathi: “Lingicebisa ukuthi ngibanike mpendulo bani lababantu?”
7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and do things that will please them, and if you say kind things to them when you answer them, they will always serve you.”
Baphendula bathi, “Ungaba lomusa kulababantu, ubathokozise, ukhulumisane labo kuhle, bazahlala bezinceku zakho.”
8 But he ignored what the older men advised him to do. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him, who were now his advisors.
Kodwa uRehobhowami kazange akwamukele ukucebisa kwabadala wakhetha ukudinga ulwazi kwabayintanga yakhe ababekhule bonke njalo kuyibo abasebezinceku zakhe.
9 He said to them, “How should I answer the men who are asking me to reduce the [work and taxes] that my father required from them?”
Wababuza wathi, “Seluleko bani elilaso? Singabaphendula sithini lababantu abathi kimi, ‘Ake uphungule ubunzima esabetheswa nguyihlo’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “[Those men] have said that your father forced them to work very hard for him, so they want you to reduce the [work and taxes] that your father required from them. But this is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
Amajaha ayeyintanga yakhe amphendula athi, “Batshele lababantu abathi kuwe, ‘Uyihlo wasethesa ubunzima, akusiphungulele lobubunzima’ uthi kubo, ‘Ucikilicane wami uqatha kulokhalo lukababa.
11 What I mean is that my father required you to [work hard and pay high taxes]. But I will make those loads heavier. [It was as though] my father whipped you, but I will whip you with whips that have pieces of metal in them.’”
Ubaba walethesa ubunzima, mina ngizabungezelela. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngenkume.’”
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and all the leaders came to King Rehoboam again, which is what he had told them to do.
UJerobhowamu labo bonke abantu babuyela kuRehobhowami ngosuku lwesithathu njengokutsho kwakhe ukuthi, “Phendukani lize kimi ngemva kwensuku ezintathu.”
13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israeli leaders.
Lakanye inkosi yaphendula abantu ngolaka, yalahla iseluleko sabadala,
14 [He told them what the younger men had advised.] He said, “My father put heavy burdens [of work and taxes] on you, but I will put heavier burdens on you. [It was as though] he beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have pieces of metal in them!”
yalandela iseluleko samajaha yathi, “Ubaba walethwesa ubunzima, mina ngizakwengezelela kubo. Walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngezinkume.”
15 So the king did not pay any attention to the Israeli leaders. But this happened in order that what Yahweh had told the prophet Ahijah about Jeroboam would happen.
Ngakho inkosi kayibalalelanga abantu, ngoba lokhu kwenziwa nguNkulunkulu, ukuze kugcwaliseke ilizwi likaThixo ayelikhulume ngo-Ahija waseShilo kuJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi.
16 When the Israeli leaders realized that the king did not pay any attention to what they said, they shouted, “We do not want anything to do with this descendant of King David! We will not pay attention to what this grandson of Jesse says! You people of Israel, let’s go home! As for this descendant of David, he can rule his own kingdom!” So the Israeli leaders returned to their homes.
Kwathi bonke abako-Israyeli bebona ukuthi inkosi iyala ukubalalela bayiphendula bathi: “Silesabelo bani kuDavida na, silengxenye bani endodaneni kaJese na? Yanini emizini yenu lina bako-Israyeli! Sala lendlu yakho, Davida!” Ngakho bonke abako-Israyeli babuyela emakhaya.
17 And [after that, the only Israeli] people whom Rehoboam ruled over were those who lived in the territory of [the tribes of] Judah [and Benjamin].
Kodwa uRehobhowami waqhubeka ebabusa abako-Israyeli ababehlala emizini yakoJuda.
18 Then King Rehoboam went with Adoniram [to talk to the Israeli people]. Adoniram was the man who supervised [all the men who were] forced to work [for Rehoboam]. But the Israeli people killed him by throwing stones at him. When that happened, King Rehoboam quickly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
Inkosi uRehobhowami yasithuma u-Adoniramu owayengumphathi wezibhalwa, kodwa abako-Israyeli bamkhanda ngamatshe wafa. Kodwa inkosi uRehobhowami yaphanga yakhwela enqoleni yayo yokulwa, yabalekela eJerusalema.
19 Ever since that time, [the people of the northern tribes of] Israel have been rebelling against the descendants of [King] David.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bayihlamukela indlu kaDavida kuze kube lamuhla.
