IGibhide lisahlela uJuda
1Kuthe bona umbuso kaRerhobhowamu unzinze nokobana sele alawula, yena naye woke u-Israyeli beqisa umthetho kaZimu amehlo. 2Emnyakeni wesihlanu wokubusa kwekosi uRerhobhowamu uTjhitjhakhi ikosi yeGibhide warhwantela eJerusalema. Lokhu kwenzeka ngebanga lokungathembeki kwabo kuSomnini uZimabo.
3UTjhitjhakhi weza akhamba neenkarana eziyikulungwana namatjhumi amabili, abakhweli beenjomani abaziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi asithandathu kanye nesinyokotho samajoni wamaLibhiya, amaSuki kanye namaKutjhe awathatha eGibhide. 4Wathumba amadorobho wakwaJuda anemithangala bewayokufika ngitjho neJerusalema.
5Khonapho kwafika umphorofidi uTjhemaya kuRerhobhowamu kanye nabarholi bakwaJuda ebegade babuthene eJerusalema ngokwesaba uTjhitjhakhi, wathi kibo: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Angithi ningilahlile! Nami-ke nginilahlela ezandleni zakaTjhitjhakhi.’ ”
6Abarholi bakwa-Israyeli kanye nekosi uRerhobhowamu bazithoba bathi: “USomnini uqinisile!”
7Lokha uZimu nabona bonyana bazithobile, wathi kuTjhemaya: “Ngombana nakhu bazithobile angeze ngisabarhayila kodwana ngizabatjhaphulula msinyazana. Itukuthelwami angeze isaba phezu kweJerusalema ngesandla sakaTjhitjhakhi. 8Nanyana kunjalo, bazakuba ziinceku zakhe ukuze bafunde ukuhlukanisa phakathi kokulotjha mina nokulotjha amakhosi weenarha ezinye.”
9Lokha uTjhitjhakhi ikosi yeGibhide nasahlela iJerusalema, wathumba umnotho wethempeli lakaSomnini nowesigodlweni. Wathanyela yoke into, wathatha ngitjho neenhlangu zegolide ezenziwa nguSolomoni. 10Yeke ikosi uRerhobhowamu yenza iinhlangu zekoporo ukujamiselela ezithethweko yazibeka esandleni seenduna zamavulandlela agade agada isango lesigodlo. 11Bekuthi njalo lokha ikosi nayiya ethempelini lakaSomnini, amavulandlela gade athwala iinhlangu bese ngemva kwalokho azibuyisele endlwaneni esesangweni lesigodlo.
12Ngebanga lokuzithoba kwakaRerhobhowamu, itukuthelo kaSomnini yasuka kuye; yeke azange arhayileke nya. Nokho bekusesekhona okuhle kwaJuda.
Ukubusa nokufa kwakaRerhobhowamu
13Ikosi uRerhobhowamu yaqinisa ubukhosi bayo eJerusalema begodu yaragela phambili nokubusa. Gade ineminyaka ematjhumi amane nanye lokha nayithatha ubukhosi. Yabusa iminyaka elitjhumi nalikhomba eJerusalema, idorobho uSomnini alikhetha hlangana nazo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli kobana ajamise ibizo lakhe lapho. UNoRerhobhowamu gade kunguNama umAmoni.
14URerhobhowamu wenza ubumbi ngombana azange abeke ihliziywakhe ekufuneni uSomnini uZimu. 15Izehlakalo zokubusa kwakaRerhobhowamu, ukusuka ekuthomeni bekube sekupheleni kanye neenzukulwana zakhe, zitlolwe emitlolweni kaTjhemaya umphorofidi no-Ido umboni.
Kwahlala sekulwiwa njalo phakathi kwakaRerhobhowamu noJerobhowamu. 16URerhobhowamu wahlongakala wabulungwa kiboyisemkhulu eMzini kaDavida. U-Abiya indodanakhe wathatha iintambo zobukhosi emva kwakhe.
