2 IZikhronike 12

₁Kwathi lapho umbuso kaRehobhowamu ususimeme waqina impela, wawushiya umthetho kaSimakade, no-Israyeli wonke wenza njengaye. ₂Kuthe ngonyaka wesihlanu wokubusa kwenkosi uRehobhowamu, kwakhuphukela eJerusalema uShishaki, inkosi yaseGibhithe, ngokuba babephambukile kuSimakade. ₃UShishaki wayenezinqola eziyi-1 200, abamahhashi abayizi-60 000, nokhumbintethe lwabantu abaphuma naye eGibhithe: amaLubhi, amaSuki, namaKhushe. ₄Wayidla imizi yakwaJuda ebiyelweyo, waze wafika naseJerusalema.

₅UShemaya umphrofethi wafika kuRehobhowamu nakubaholi bonke bakwaJuda abebuthene eJerusalema, ngenxa kaShishaki, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uSimakade uthi: ‘Nina ningifulathele Mina, ngakho-ke nami nginilahlele esandleni sikaShishaki.’ ”

₆Base bezithoba abaholi bakwa-Israyeli nenkosi, bathi: “USimakade ulungile.”

₇Ngesikhathi uSimakade ebona ukuthi bayazithoba, wathumela izwi kuShemaya, wathi: “Bazithobile; angiyukubabhubhisa, kodwa ngizokubakhulula emveni kwesikhashana, nentukuthelo yami ayiyukwehlela iJerusalema ngesandla sikaShishaki. ₈Nokho bazokuba yizinceku zakhe ukuze bazi umsebenzi wami nomsebenzi wemibuso yezizwe.”

₉UShishaki, inkosi yaseGibhite, wakhuphukela eJerusalema, wathatha ingcebo yendlu kaSimakade nengcebo yasesigodlweni senkosi. Wathatha konke, wathatha nezihlangu zegolide ezazenziwe nguSolomoni. ₁₀Inkosi uRehobhowamu yenza izihlangu zethusi esikhundleni sazo, yazinikela ezandleni zezinduna zabalindi abaqapha umnyango wesigodlo senkosi. ₁₁Kwakuthi njalo lapho inkosi ingena endlini kaSimakade abalindi bayikhaphe beziphethe, bese kuthi kamuva bazibuyisele endlini yabalindi.

₁₂Ngenkathi uRehobhowamu ezithoba, intukuthelo kaSimakade yasuka kuye, ayibange isambhubhisa nya; kwakusekhona okuhle kwaJuda.

₁₃Inkosi uRehobhowamu yaziqinisa eJerusalema. Yaqala ukubusa ineminyaka engama-41; yabusa iminyaka eli-17 eJerusalema, umuzi uSimakade ayewukhethe phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ukuba abeke kuwo igama lakhe. Igama likanina kwakunguNahama, umAmonikazi. ₁₄Wenza okubi, akaze ayibhekisa inhliziyo yakhe ekufuneni uSimakade.

₁₅Izindaba zikaRehobhowamu, ezakuqala nezokugcina, azilotshiwe yini ezindabeni zikaShemaya umphrofethi, nezika-Ido umboni, ngokwezizukulwane, nezimpi zikaRehobhowamu noJerobhowamu zonke izinsuku zabo na? ₁₆URehobhowamu walaliswa kokhokho bakhe, wembelwa emzini kaDavide. U-Abhiya, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.