2 iziKronike 11

₁URehobowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabutha indlu yakwaJuda noBenjamini, abantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisihiyagalombili, amabutho, ukuba balwe no-Israyeli, bawubuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu.

₂Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu, lathi: ₃“Khuluma kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuye wonke u-Israyeli kwaJuda noBenjamini, ngokuthi: ₄‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Aniyikukhuphuka, ningalwi nabafowenu; buyelani, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe, ngokuba le nto ivela kimi.’ ” Balalela amazwi kaJehova, babuya ekumhlaseleni uJerobowamu.

₅URehobowamu wahlala eJerusalema, wakha imizi ukuba ibe yizinqaba kwaJuda. ₆Wakha iBetlehema, ne-Etamu, neThekhowa, ₇neBeti Suri, neSoko, ne-Adulamu, ₈neGati, neMaresha, neZifi, ₉ne-Adorayimi, neLakishi, ne-Azeka, ₁₀neSora, ne-Ajaloni, neHebroni, ekwaJuda nakwaBenjamini, imizi ebiyelweyo. ₁₁Waziqinisa izinqaba, wabeka izinduna kuzo, nokudla, namafutha, newayini. ₁₂Emizini yonke, yileyo naleyo, wabeka izihlangu nemikhonto, wayiqinisa kakhulu impela. ElakwaJuda nelakwaBenjamini lalingelakhe.

₁₃Abapristi namaLevi ayekwa-Israyeli wonke bazihlanganisa naye bephuma emikhawulweni yonke. ₁₄Ngokuba amaLevi ashiya amadlelo awo nefa lawo, aya kwaJuda naseJerusalema, ngokuba uJerobowamu namadodana akhe bawalahla ukuba angabe esaba ngabapristi bakaJehova, ₁₅wazimisela abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo, nabamademoni, nabamathole awenzileyo. ₁₆Emva kwabo kwaphuma ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli abanhliziyo zabo zibhekiswe ukufuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wakwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema ukuhlabela uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise. ₁₇Base bewuqinisa-ke umbuso wakwaJuda, benza uRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni waba namandla iminyaka emithathu, ngokuba bahamba iminyaka emithathu endleleni kaDavide noSolomoni.

₁₈URehobowamu wazithathela umfazi, uMahalati, indodakazi kaJerimoti indodana kaDavide neka-Abihayili, indodakazi ka-Eliyabe, indodana kaJese. ₁₉Wamzalela amadodana: ngoJewushe, noShemariya, noZahamu. ₂₀Emva kwakhe wathatha uMahakha, indodakazi ka-Abisalomu; wamzalela o-Abiya, no-Athayi, noZiza, noShelomiti. ₂₁URehobowamu wamthanda uMahakha indodakazi ka-Abisalomu phezu kwabo bonke abafazi bakhe nezancinza zakhe, ngokuba wathatha abafazi abayishumi nesishiyagalombili nezancinza ezingamashumi ayisithupha, wazala amadodana angamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili namadodakazi angamashumi ayisithupha.

₂₂URehobowamu wabeka u-Abiya, indodana kaMahakha, abe yinhloko, abe ngumbusi phakathi kwabafowabo, ngokuba wacabanga ukumbeka inkosi. ₂₃Wenza ngokuhlakanipha, wahlakaza onke amadodana akhe emazweni onke akwaJuda noBenjamini, emizini yonke ebiyelweyo, wawanika ukudla okuningi, wawafunela abafazi abaningi.