1 Inkosi uSolomoni yayibathanda kakhulu abafazi bezizweni kanye lendodakazi kaFaro, amaMowabi, ama-Amoni, ama-Edomi, amaSidoni lamaHithi. 2 Babengabezizwe uThixo ayethe kwabako-Israyeli, “Lingathathani labo, ngoba bazaguqulela inhliziyo zenu kubonkulunkulu babo.” Lanxa kunjalo, uSolomoni wabambelela kubo ngothando. 3 Wayelabafazi abangamakhulu ayisikhombisa ababezalwa esikhosini labanye abafazi beceleni abangamakhulu amathathu; lakanye abafazi bakhe baphambukisa inhliziyo yakhe. 4 Ekuluphaleni kwakhe uSolomoni, abafazi bakhe baphambulela ukholo lwakhe kwabanye onkulunkulu, inhliziyo yakhe ayizange ilandele uThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe ngokupheleleyo, njengenhliziyo kaDavida uyise. 5 USolomoni walandela u-Ashithorethi unkulunkulu wamaSidoni, loMoleki unkulunkulu onengekayo wama-Amoni. 6 Ngalokho uSolomoni wona phambi kukaThixo; kazange alandele uThixo ngokupheleleyo, njengokwakwenziwe nguyise uDavida.

7 Eqaqeni olusempumalanga yeJerusalema, uSolomoni wakhela unkulunkulu onengekayo wamaMowabi uKhemoshi, loMoleki unkulunkulu onengekayo wama-Amoni indawo yomhlatshelo. 8 Wenza okufananayo kubo bonke abafazi bakhe bezizweni, batshisa impepha banikela ngemihlatshelo kubonkulunkulu babo.

9 UThixo wamthukuthelela uSolomoni ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayisimfulathele uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, yena ayezibonakalise kuye kabili. 10 Lanxa wayemlayile uSolomoni ukuba angalandeli abanye onkulunkulu, uSolomoni kazange awulandele umlayo kaThixo. 11 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuSolomoni. “Njengoba le kuyiyo injongo yakho njalo awugcinanga isivumelwano sami kanye lezimiso zami, lezo engakulaya ngazo, impela ngizawuhluthuna umbuso wakho kuwe ngiwunike omunye wabantu abangaphansi kwakho. 12 Loba kunjalo, ngenxa kaDavida uyihlo, angiyikwenza lokho wena usaphila. Ngizawuhluthuna esandleni sendodana yakho. 13 Kanti njalo angiyikuwuhluthuna wonke umbuso kuyo, kodwa ngizayinika isizwana esisodwa ngenxa kaDavida inceku yami njalo langenxa yeJerusalema, yona esengiyikhethile.”

14 Ngakho uThixo wasemvusela isitha uSolomoni, uHadadi umʼEdomi owesikhosini sama-Edomi. 15 Mandulo uDavida esalwa lama-Edomi, uJowabi umlawuli webutho, owayengcwaba abafileyo, wayetshaye wabhuqa wonke amadoda ama-Edomi. 16 UJowabi lawo wonke ama-Israyeli ahlala khonale okwezinyanga eziyisithupha, baze babhubhisa wonke amadoda e-Edomi. 17 Kodwa uHadadi, esesengumfanyana, wabalekela eGibhithe lezinye izikhulu zama-Edomi ezazisebenzele uyise. 18 Basuka eMidiyani baya ePharani. Bathe sebethatha amadoda ePharani behamba lawo, baya eGibhithe, kuFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, yena owapha uHadadi indlu kanye lomhlaba waze wamnika kanye lokudla.

19 UHadadi wathandeka kakhulu kuFaro, waze wamendisela udadewabo womkakhe, udadewabo kaThaphenesi iNdlovukazi. 20 Udadewabo kaThaphenesi wamzalela indodana eyathiwa nguGenubhathi. UThaphenesi wayondlela esigodlweni, kulapho-ke uGenubathi ahlala khona labantwana bakaFaro.

21 Kwathi uHadadi esezwile eseGibhithe ukuthi uDavida kasekho lokuthi uJowabi induna yempi sewafa, wathi kuFaro: “Ake ungivumele ukuba ngiye elizweni lakithi.”

22 UFaro wathi kuye, “Usweleni lapha okwenza ufune ukubuyela elizweni lakini na?”

UHadadi waphendula wathi, “Akulalutho kodwa ngivumela ngihambe!”

23 UNkulunkulu wamvusela njalo uSolomoni esinye isitha, uRezoni indodana ka-Eliyada owayebalekile enkosini yakhe uHadadezeri inkosi yaseZobha. 24 Waqoqa ixuku labahlamuki waba ngumkhokheli walo ngesikhathi uDavida echitha impi kaZobha; abahlamuki baya eDamaseko lapho bafika bahlala khona bayiphatha leyondawo. 25 URezoni waba yisitha sako-Israyeli ngesikhathi sokuphila kukaSolomoni, wengezelela kuloluhlupho olwasungulwa nguHadadi. Ngakho uRezoni wabusa e-Aramu ehlezi ezonda ilizwe lako-Israyeli.

26 UJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi laye wahlamukela inkosi. Wayekade engesinye sezikhulu zikaSolomoni, engowesizwana sika-Efrayimi evela eZereda, unina owayethiwa nguZeruwa wayengumfelokazi.

27 Le yimbali yokuhlamukela kwakhe inkosi: USolomoni wayakhe walungisa amaguma ayizisekelo, njalo wagcwalisa evala isikhala esasisele emdulini wedolobho likayise uDavida. 28 UJerobhowamu wayeyindoda eyaziwayo, uSolomoni uthe ebona ukuthi wayelijaha elenza kuhle kanganani umsebenzi walo, wambeka induna yezisebenzi zonke endlini kaJosefa.

29 Ngalesosikhathi uJerobhowamu waphuma eJerusalema, wahlangana lomphrofethi weShilo u-Ahija endleleni, egqoke isigqoko esitsha. Bahlangana bebodwa bobabili kuleyondawo, 30 kwathi u-Ahija wathatha isigqoko esitsha ayesigqokile wasidabula iziqa ezilitshumi lambili. 31 Wasesithi kuJerobhowamu, “Wena zithathele iziqa ezilitshumi kulezi, ngoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Khangela, ngizahluthuna umbuso esandleni sikaSolomoni ngikunike izizwana ezilitshumi. 32 Kodwa ngenxa yenceku yami uDavida ledolobho leJerusalema, lona engilikhethileyo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli, ngizamtshiyela isizwana esisodwa. 33 Ngizakwenza lokhu ngoba bangifulathele bakhonza u-Ashithorethi unkulunkulukazi wamaSidoni, loKhemoshi unkulunkulu wamaMowabi, kanye loMoleki unkulunkulu wama-Amoni, njalo abahambanga ngezami izindlela, abenzanga ukulunga phambi kwami, abayigcinanga imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguDavida uyise kaSolomoni.

34 Kodwa angiyikususa umbuso wonke esandleni sikaSolomoni; ngizamenza ukuba abe ngumbusi okwempilo yakhe yonke ngenxa yenceku yami uDavida, yena engamkhethayo njalo wayilandela imilayo yami wayigcina lemithetho yami. 35 Ngizathatha umbuso esandleni sendodana yakhe ngikunike izizwana ezilitshumi. 36 Ngizanika indodana yakhe isizwana esisodwa ukuze inceku yami uDavida ibe lesibane ngezikhathi zonke phambi kwami eJerusalema, umuzi engakhetha ukufaka iBizo lami. 37 Kodwa-ke, wena ngokwakho, ngizakuthatha, njalo uzabusa phezu kwakho konke njengokufisa kwenhliziyo yakho yonke; uzakuba ngumbusi walo lonke elako-Israyeli. 38 Nxa ungenza engikulaya ngakho uhambe ngezindlela zami wenze okuhle emehlweni ami okunjengokulalela imilayo yami lokulawulwa yimi, njengalokhu okwenziwa yinceku yami uDavida, ungenza njalo ngizakuba lawe. Ngizawuqinisa umbuso wakho njengokaDavida njalo ngizakunika u-Israyeli. 39 Ngizabethula isithunzi abenzalo kaDavida ngenxa yalokhu, kodwa hatshi kuze kube nininini.’ ”

40 USolomoni wazama ukubulala uJerobhowamu kodwa uJerobhowamu wabalekela eGibhithe, enkosini uShishakhi, njalo wahlala khonale uSolomoni waze wafa.

41 Ezinye izehlakalo ezenzakala ekubuseni kukaSolomoni lakho konke akwenzayo lenhlakanipho yakhe ayitshengiselayo akulotshwanga yini egwalweni lwembali kaSolomoni na? 42 USolomoni wabusa eJerusalema phezu kuka-Israyeli okweminyaka engamatshumi amane. 43 Kwaba yikho ukufa kwakhe eselandela oyise njalo wangcwatshwelwa emzini kaDavida uyise. URehobhowami indodana yakhe yathatha ubukhosi ngemva kwakhe.