1 Kwathi bakubon’ ukuba buzinzile ubukumkani bukaRehabheham, akomelela, wawushiya umyalelo kaYehova, namaSirayeli onke kunye naye.
2 Kwathi, ngomnyaka wesihlanu wokumkani uRehabheham, kwenyuka uShishaki ukumkani waseYiputa, wayingenela iYerusalem, ngokuba bebemenezile kuYehova;
3 enewaka elinamakhulu amabini eenqwelo zokulwa, namawaka angamashumi omathandathu abamahashe, nabantu abangenakubalwa, abaphuma naye eYiputa, amaLubhi, namaSuki, namaKushi.
4 Wayithimba imizi enqatyisiweyo ekwaYuda, wafika naseYerusalem.
5 Weza uShemaya umprofeti kuRehabheham, nakubathetheli bakwaYuda ababehlanganisene eYerusalem ngenxa kaShishaki, wathi kubo, Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Nina nandishiya, nam ndinishiyile, ndaninikela esandleni sikaShishaki.
6 Bazithoba abathetheli bamaSirayeli nokumkani, bathi, Ulilungisa uYehova.
7 Akubona uYehova ukuba bazithobile, lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuShemaya, lisithi, Bazithobile; andiyi kubonakalisa; ndiya kubanika ukusinda ixeshana, bungathululelwa ubushushu bam eYerusalem ngesandla sikaShishaki.
8 Noko boba ngabakhonzi kuye, ukuze bayazi inkonzo yam, nenkonzo yezikumkani zamazwe.
9 Wenyuka ke ukumkani waseYiputa, wafika walwa neYerusalem, wabuthabatha ubuncwane bendlu kaYehova, nobuncwane bendlu yokumkani; wabuthabatha bonke; wazithabatha iingweletshetshe zegolide awazenzayo uSolomon.
10 Ukumkani uRehabheham wenza iingweletshetshe zobhedu esikhundleni sazo, waziphathisa abathetheli bezigidimi, ezibe zigcina umnyango wendlu yokumkani.
11 Ubesakuthi akungena ukumkani endlwini kaYehova, zize izigidimi ezo ziziphethe, zize zizibuyisele egumbini lezigidimi.
12 Wathi akuzithoba, umsindo kaYehova wabuya kuye, ukuba angamtshabalalisi kuthi tu; kananjalo kwaYuda kwakukho izinto ezilungileyo.
13 Waziqinisa ukumkani uRehabheham eYerusalem, waba ngukumkani; ngokuba uRehabheham ebeminyaka imashumi mane anamnye ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka elishumi elinesixhenxe engukumkani eYerusalem, umzi lowo wawunyulayo uYehova kwizizwe zonke zakwaSirayeli, ukuba alimise khona igama lakhe. Igama lonina belinguNahama, umAmonikazi.
14 Wenza okubi, ngokuba ebengayibhekiselelanga intliziyo yakhe ukumquqela uYehova.
15 Izinto zikaRehabheham, ezokuqala nezokugqibela, azibhalwanga na emicimbini kaShemaya umprofeti noIdo imboni, ngokokubhalwa kwemilibo yokuzalwa? Yayiziimfazwe phakathi koRehabheham noYarobheham imihla yonke.
16 URehabheham walala kooyise, wangcwatyelwa emzini kaDavide; uAbhiya, unyana wakhe, waba ngukumkani esikhundleni sakhe.