1 Ngemva kokuba uRehobhowami eselamandla, lombuso wakhe usuqinile, yena kanye labo bonke abako-Israyeli bawudela umlayo kaThixo. 2 Kodwa ngoba bona kuThixo, uShishakhi inkosi yaseGibhithe wahlasela iJerusalema ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokubusa kwenkosi uRehobhowami. 3 Wahlasela ngezinqola zokulwa ezingamakhulu alitshumi lambili labagadi bamabhiza abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, labantu abangelakubalwa ubunengi babo abanye bengabeLibhiya, lamaSukhi labaKhushi abeza laye bevelela ngaseGibhithe, 4 wathumba imizi yakoJuda ebiyelweyo waze wayafika leJerusalema.

5 Ngakho uShemaya umphrofethi waya kuRehobhowami kanye lakubakhokheli bakoJuda ababebuthene eJerusalema ngokwesaba uShishakhi, wafika wathi kubo, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uthi, ‘Lingilahlile lina; ngakho sengilinikela kuShishaki.’ ”

6 Abakhokheli bako-Israyeli lenkosi yabo bazithoba batsho bathi, “uThixo ulungile.”

7 Kwathi uThixo esebonile ukuzithoba kwabo ilizwi lakhe lafika kuShemaya lisithi: “Njengoba bezithobile, kangisayikubabhubhisa, kodwa ngizabakhulula emva kwesikhatshana, lolaka lwami kalusayikwehliselwa eJerusalema ngesandla sikaShishakhi. 8 Kodwa bazakuba yizinceku zakhe ukuze bazi umahluko phakathi kokungikhonza lokukhonza amakhosi amanye amazwe.”

9 UShishakhi inkosi yaseGibhithe wasehlasela iJerusalema, wabutha yonke inotho yasethempelini likaThixo kanye lenotho yasesigodlweni sesikhosini. Wathatha konke waze wathatha lezihlangu zegolide ezazenziwe nguSolomoni. 10 Ngakho iNkosi uRehobhowami yasisenza izihlangu zethusi endaweni yalezo njalo yazibeka ngaphansi kwabalawuli babalindi bamasango asesigodlweni sesikhosini. 11 Kwakusithi lapho inkosi isiya ethempelini likaThixo, abalindi babehamba layo bephethe izihlangu, kuze kuthi emva kwesikhathi bazibuyisele endlini yabalindi.

12 Ngenxa yokuthi uRehobhowami wazithoba, ulaka lukaThixo lwadeda kuye, kasazange abe esabhujiswa. Ngempela kwakukhona okuhle koJuda.

13 Inkosi uRehobhowami yaqinisa umbuso wayo eJerusalema njalo yaqhubeka ibusa. Ekugcotshweni kwakhe ubukhosi wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amane lanye, wabusa okweminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa eJerusalema umuzi kaThixo ayewukhethile phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli ukuze abeke iBizo lakhe. Ibizo likanina linguNahama, engowako-Amoni. 14 Wenza okubi wona ngoba engazange abeke inhliziyo yakhe ekumdingeni uThixo.

15 Okumayelana lokubusa kukaRehobhowami, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni, akulotshwanga na emibhalweni kaShemaya umphrofethi leka-Ido umboni mayelana lokuzalana kwabantu? Kwaba lempi njalo phakathi kukaRehobhowami loJerobhowamu. 16 URehobhowami wakhothama, wangcwatshwa labokhokho bakhe eMzini kaDavida. U-Abhija, indodana yakhe wathatha ubukhosi waba yinkosi ngemva kukayise.