Verse 1: URehobowamu waya eShekemi, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli wayefikile eShekemi ukumbeka inkosi.
Verse 2: Kwathi lapho uJerobowamu indodana kaNebati ekuzwile — ngokuba wayeseGibithe, lapho ayebalekele khona, ebalekele ubuso benkosi uSolomoni; wahlala-ke uJerobowamu eGibithe,
Verse 3: kepha bathuma bambiza — uJerobowamu nebandla lonke lakwa-Israyeli beza, bakhuluma kuRehobowamu, bathi:
Verse 4: “Uyihlo wenza ijoka lethu laba lukhuni; ngalokho yenza wena ube lula umsebenzi olukhuni kayihlo nejoka lakhe elisindayo owalibeka phezu kwethu, siyakukukhonza.”
Verse 5: Wathi kubo: “Hambani izinsuku zibe zintathu, bese nibuyela kimi.” Basuka-ke abantu.
Verse 6: Inkosi uRehobowamu yelulekana namalunga ayemile phambi kukaSolomoni uyise, esekhona, yathi: “Nina ningeluleka ukubuyisela mpenduloni kulaba bantu na?”
Verse 7: Akhuluma kuye, athi: “Uma uyakuba yinceku yalaba bantu namhla nje, ubakhonze, ubaphendule, ukhulume amazwi amahle kubo, bayakuba yizinceku zakho izinsuku zonke.”
Verse 8: Kepha walahla isiluleko samalunga ameluleke ngaso, welulekana nezinsizwa eziyintanga yakhe, ezazimi phambi kwakhe.
Verse 9: Wathi kuzo: “Nina ningeluleka ukuba sibuyisele mpenduloni kulaba bantu abakhulume kimi ngokuthi: ‘Yenza ijoka uyihlo alibeka phezu kwethu libe lula,’ na?”
Verse 10: Zase zikhuluma kuye izinsizwa eziyintanga yakhe, zithi: “Uyakusho kanje kulaba bantu abakhulume kuwe ngokuthi: ‘Uyihlo walenza ijoka lethu lasinda, kepha wena ulenze libe lula kithina,’ uyakukhuluma kanje kubo, uthi: ‘Ucikicane wami mkhulu kunokhalo lukababa.
Verse 11: Manje ubaba wanithwesa ijoka elisindayo, mina ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu; ubaba wanishaya ngeziswebhu, mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.’ ”
Verse 12: UJerobowamu nabantu bonke base befika kuRehobowamu ngosuku lwesithathu njengokusho kwenkosi, ithi: “Buyelani kimi ngosuku lwesithathu.”
Verse 13: Inkosi yaphendula abantu kalukhuni, yalahla isiluleko samalunga ameluleke ngaso,
Verse 14: yakhuluma kubo njengesiluleko sezinsizwa ngokuthi: “Ubaba walenza ijoka lenu lasinda, mina ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu; ubaba wanishaya ngeziswebhu, mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.”
Verse 15: Inkosi ayilalelanga abantu, ngokuba kwakuyisiyiba esivela kuJehova, ukuze amise izwi lakhe uJehova alikhulumayo ngesandla sika-Ahiya waseShilo kuJerobowamu indodana kaNebati.
Verse 16: Wonke u-Israyeli esebonile ukuthi inkosi ayibalalelanga, abantu babuyisela izwi enkosini, bathi: “Sinasabelo sini kuDavide na? Ifa asinalo endodaneni kaJese. Yana ematendeni akho, Israyeli, zibhekele indlu yakho manje, Davide.” Wayesesuka u-Israyeli, waya ematendeni akhe.
Verse 17: Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli abakhe emizini yakwaJuda, uRehobowamu wabusa phezu kwabo.
Verse 18: Inkosi uRehobowamu yathuma u-Adoramu owayephezu kwezisebenzi; u-Israyeli wonke wamkhanda ngamatshe, wafa. Inkosi uRehobowamu yashesha ukukhwela inqola yayo ukuba ibalekele eJerusalema.
Verse 19: U-Israyeli wayeseyihlubuka-ke indlu kaDavide kuze kube namuhla.
Verse 20: Kwathi wonke u-Israyeli esezwile ukuthi uJerobowamu ubuyile, bathuma bambizela emhlanganweni, bambeka inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; akubangakho muntu olandela indlu kaDavide, isizwe sakwaJuda kuphela.
Verse 21: URehobowamu esefikile eJerusalema wabutha yonke indlu yakwaJuda nesizwe sakwaBenjamini, abantu abakhethiweyo abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili, amabutho, ukuba balwe nendlu yakwa-Israyeli, bawubuyisele umbuso kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni.
Verse 22: Lase lifika izwi likaNkulunkulu kuShemaya umuntu kaNkulunkulu, lathi:
Verse 23: “Khuluma kuRehobowamu indodana kaSolomoni inkosi yakwaJuda, nakuyo yonke indlu yakwaJuda neyakwaBenjamini, nakubantu abaseleyo, ngokuthi:
Verse 24: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Aniyikukhuphuka, ningalwi nabafowenu abantwana bakwa-Israyeli; buyelani, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe, ngokuba le nto ivela kimi.’ ” Balalela izwi likaJehova, babuya, bahamba njengokusho kukaJehova.
Verse 25: UJerobowamu waqinisa iShekemi ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, wahlala khona; waphuma lapho, waqinisa iPhenuweli.
Verse 26: UJerobowamu wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Manje umbuso uyakubuyela endlini kaDavide.
Verse 27: Uma laba bantu benyuka ukunikela ngemihlatshelo endlini kaJehova eJerusalema, inhliziyo yalaba bantu iyakuphindela enkosini yabo, kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda, bangibulale mina, babuyele kuRehobowamu inkosi yakwaJuda.”
Verse 28: Inkosi isithathe isiluleko, yenza amathole amabili egolide, yathi kubo: “Sekwanele ukuba nikhuphukele eJerusalema; bheka onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe.”
Verse 29: Wabeka elinye eBethele, elinye walibeka kwaDani.
Verse 30: Leyo nto yaba yisono, ngokuba abantu baya phambi kwelinye nakwaDani.
Verse 31: Wakha nezindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo, wenza abapristi ngeningi labantu abangesiwo amadodana kaLevi.
Verse 32: UJerobowamu wagubha umkhosi ngenyanga yesishiyagalombili ngosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga njengomkhosi wakwaJuda, wenyukela e-altare; wenze njalo eBethele ukuba ahlabele amathole awenzileyo; wabeka eBethele abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo azenzileyo.
Verse 33: Wayesenikela e-altare alenzileyo ngosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga yesishiyagalombili, inyanga abeyinqumile ngokwakhe nje; wenzela abantwana bakwa-Israyeli umkhosi, wenyukela e-altare ukushisa impepho.