Umprofethi wakwaJuda nokubulawa kwakhe
1Bheka, kwavela kwaJuda umuntu kaNkulunkulu ngezwi likaJehova, weza eBethele; uJerobowamu wayemi e-altare ukushisa impepho. 2Walibiza i-altare ngezwi likaJehova, wathi: “Altare, altare, usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Bheka, kuzakuzalwa umntwana kuyo indlu kaDavide, nguJosiya igama lakhe; uyakunikela phezu kwakho ngabapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo abashisa impepho phezu kwakho, bashise namathambo abantu phezu kwakho.’ ” 3Wabanika isiboniso ngalolo suku, wathi: “Yilesi esiyisiboniso uJehova akhulume ngaso sokuthi: Bheka, i-altare liyakudatshulwa, umlotha ophezu kwalo uchithwe.”
4Kwathi inkosi isizwile izwi lalowo muntu kaNkulunkulu alibiza ngalo i-altare laseBethele, uJerobowamu waselula isandla sakhe ese-altare, wathi: “Mbambeni.” Kepha isandla sakhe aselulela kuye sashwabana, akaba namandla okusibuyisela kuye. 5I-altare ladabuka, umlotha we-altare wachitheka e-altare njengesiboniso asinikile lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ngezwi likaJehova.
6Inkosi yayisithatha yathi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Ake unxuse phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele ukuba isandla sami siphiliswe.” Lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wanxusa kuJehova, saphiliswa isandla sakhe, saba njengakuqala.
7Yayisithi inkosi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Woza siye ekhaya, uzihlumelele, ngikuphe isipho.”
8Kepha lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wathi enkosini: “Noma unginika inxenye yendlu yakho, angiyikuya khona nawe; futhi angiyikudla isinkwa, ngiphuze amanzi kuleyo ndawo; 9ngokuba ngayalwa kanjalo ngezwi likaJehova ngokuthi: ‘Awuyikudla sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi, ungabuyi ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ” 10Wayesehamba ngenye indlela, kabuyanga ngendlela abeze ngayo eBethele.
11Kwakuhlala eBethele umprofethi omdala. Amadodana akhe afika amtshela yonke imisebenzi lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu abeyenzile ngalolo suku eBethele, namazwi abewakhulumile enkosini. Uyise esetsheliwe, 12uyise wathi kuwo: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela na?” Amadodana ayebonile ukuthi uhambe ngayiphi indlela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda. 13Wayesethi kumadodana akhe: “Ngibopheleni imbongolo.” Ambophela-ke imbongolo, wayikhwela. 14Wamlandela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfumana ehlezi phansi kwe-oki;* wathi kuye: “Wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lowo owavela kwaJuda na?”
Wathi: “Nginguye.”
15Wayesethi kuye: “Woza siye ekhaya, uthole ukudla.”
16Kepha wathi: “Anginakubuya nawe, anginakungena kwakho nawe; futhi anginakudla isinkwa, ngiphuze amanzi nawe kuleyo ndawo, 17ngokuba kwathiwa kimi ngezwi likaJehova: ‘Awuyikudla sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi khona, ungabuyi ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ”
18Wayesethi kuye: “Nami ngingumprofethi njengawe; kwakhuluma kimi ingelosi ngezwi likaJehova ngokuthi: ‘Mbuyise, uye naye endlini yakho ukuba athole ukudla, aphuze amanzi.’ ” Kodwa waqamba amanga kuye. 19Wayesebuya-ke naye, wadla endlini yakhe, waphuza amanzi.
20Kwathi besahlezi etafuleni, izwi likaJehova lafika kumprofethi owambuyisa; 21wamemeza kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Njengokuba ungalilalelanga izwi likaJehova, ungagcinanga umyalo uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo, 22kepha ubuyile, wadla, waphuza amanzi endaweni athi ngayo kuwe ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi, isidumbu sakho asiyikungeniswa ethuneni lawoyihlo.’ ”
23Kwathi esedlile, esephuzile, wambophelela imbongolo yena lowo mprofethi abembuyisile. 24Esehambile waficwa yingonyama endleleni, yambulala; isidumbu sakhe santshingwa endleleni, imbongolo yema eceleni kwaso, nengonyama yema ngasesidunjini. 25Bheka, abantu badlula, babona isidumbu sintshingwe endleleni nengonyama imi eceleni kwesidumbu, bafika bakhuluma ngakho emzini ayehlala kuwo lowo mprofethi omdala.
26Esezwile lokho umprofethi obembuyisile endlelni wathi: “Ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu lowo owayengalaleli izwi likaJehova; ngalokho uJehova umnikele kuyo ingonyama, yamdwengula; yambulala njengezwi likaJehova alikhuluma kuye.”
27Wayesekhuluma kumadodana akhe, ethi: “Ngibopheleleni imbongolo.” Ayibophela. 28Wahamba, wafumana isidumbu sakhe sintshingwe endleleni, imbongolo nengonyama zimi eceleni kwesidumbu; ingonyama ayidlanga isidumbu, ayidwengulanga nembongolo. 29Umprofethi wasiphakamisa isidumbu salowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, wasibeka embongolweni, wasibuyisa; wafika emzini womprofethi omdala ukuba alile, ammbele. 30Wasibeka isidumbu ethuneni lakhe; bamlilela bathi: “Maye, mfowethu!”
31Kwathi esemmbele, wakhuluma kumadodana akhe, wathi: “Lapho sengifile, ngimbeleni ethuneni embelwe kulo lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, nibeke amathambo ami eceleni kwamathambo akhe. 32Ngokuba izwi alimemezayo ngokusho kukaJehova kulo i-altare laseBethele nakuzo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezisemizini yaseSamariya liyakwenzeka nokwenzeka.”
UJerobowamu uqhubeka ebubini
33Emva kwalokho uJerobowamu akaphendukanga nokho endleleni yakhe embi, kepha wabuye wenza abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ngeningi labantu; othandayo wahlukaniselwa, wabangumpristi wendawo ephakemeyo. 34Leyo nto yaba yisono kuyo indlu kaJerobowamu ngangokuba inqunywe, ichithwe ebusweni bomhlaba.
