¹ Umuntfu wa Nkulunkulu aphuma ka Juda abitwa ngekutsi ngu Smakadze eBethali. Jerobowamu bekeme ngase aliteni atewushisa imphepho. ² Wakhala eAlitheni ngeligama laSmakadze: Alitha, alitha! Naku lokushiwo ngu Smakadze, 'Bona, indvodzana lebitwa nga Josiya itawutalwa emndenini waka Davide, kuwe utawunikela njenge mpristi wasetindzaweni letinkhulu losanishisela imphepho. Kini batawushisa ematsambo ebantfu.'' ³ Bese lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu ukhipha luphawu ngalelo langa, atsi, ''Lolu luphawu lakhulume ngalo Smakadze: 'Buka, li alitha litawuhlukaniswa ekhatsi, lemilotsa lekulo itawucitselwa ngaphandle.'' ⁴ Ngesikhatsi inkhosi iva lokushiwo ngumuntfu wa Nkulunkulu, lokutsi wakhalela e alitha eBethali, Jerobowamuwafinyelela ngesandla sankhe kusuka kuleli alitha, watsi, ''Mbambeni'' Lesandla lesasikhombe lomuntfu soma, wangasakhoni kusibuyisela emuva kuye. ⁵ (Neli alitha nalo lahliphika ekhatsi nemlotsa wacitfwa ngaphandle kweli alitha, njengoba kwachazwa ngeluphawu lolwalukhishwe ngulomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu ngelivi laSmakadze.) ⁶ Inkhosi Jerobowamu yaphendvula, yatsi kulomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu, Cela umusa kuSmakadze Nkulunkulu wakho ungithantazele, khona sandla sami sitewubuyiselwa kimi futsi.'' Ngako umuntfu wa Nkulunkulu wathandaza ku Smakadze, sandla senkhosi sabuyiselwa kuyo futsi, sabuyela saba njengoba besinjalo ekucaleni. ⁷ Inkhosi yatsi kulomuntfu waNkulunkulu, ''Buya ekhaya nami utihhamule, Ngitakunika umhlomelo.'' ^{8 9 10} Lomuntfu waNkulunkulu watsi enkhosini, ''Noma ngabe unganginika incenye yemcebo wakho, angeke ngihambe nawe, noma ngidle kudla noma nginatse manti kulendzawo, ngoba Smakaze wangilayela ngelivi lakhe, 'Angeke udle sinkhwa noma unatse emanti, noma ubuyele ngalendlela lote ngayo.'' Ngako lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu wahamba ngalenye indlela akazange abuyele ekhaya ngalendlela laye ngayo eBethali. ¹¹ Kwakune mprofethi lomdzala lebekahlala eBethali, munye wemadvodzakana akhe eta amtjela tonkhe letintfo letentiwa ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu eBetheli. Lamafvodzana akhe amtjela nalamagama lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu lawasho enkhosini. ¹² Uyise watsi kubo, ''Uhambe ngayiphi indlela? Kodvwa lamadvodzana akhe abebonile kutsi lomuntfu waNkulunkulu uyephi. ¹³ Ngako watsi kumadvodzana akhe, ''Ngibopheleleni limbongolo.'' Bambophelela lelibhongolo wahamba ngalo. ¹⁴ Lomprofethi lomdzala wahamba walandzela lomuntfu waNkulunkulu wamkhandza ahleti phasi kwesihlahla sem-okhi; watsi kuye, Nguwe lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu lobuya ka Juda?'' Waphendvula, ''Nginguye''. ¹⁵ Watsi lomprofethi lomdzala kuye, ''Asambe ekhaya nami khona utowudla kudla.'' ¹⁶ Lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu waphendvula, ''Ngingete ngajika nawe noma ngingene, nomake ngidle kudla noma nginatse emanti nawe kulendzawo, ¹⁷ ngoba kwayaletwa kimi ngelivi laSmakadze, 'Angeke udle kudla noma unatse emanti lena, noma ubuyele emuva ngalendlela lote ngayo.'' ¹⁸ Ngako lomprofethi lomdzala watsi kuye, ''Nami ngingumprofethi njengawe, ingelozi yakhuluma kimi ngelivi laSmakadze, yatsi, 'Muletse ahambe nawe endlini yakho, khona atodla antse nemanti,'' Kodvwa abecamba emanga kulomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu. ¹⁹ Ngako lomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu wajika nalomprofethi lomdzala wadla kudla endlini yakhe wanatsa emanti. ²⁰ Basehleti etafuleni, livi laSmakadze leta kulomrofethi lowamjikisa, ²¹ wakhala kulomuntfu waNkulunkulu lobuya ka Juda, watsi, Smakadze utsi, 'Ngalokutsi wece umyalo welivi laSmakadze awukagcini umyelelo lowanikwa ngu Smakadze, ²² kodvwa wabuya wadla kudla wanatsa nemanti kulendzawo Smakadze lamtjela kutsi angadli kudla noma anatse emanti, umtimba wakho angeke ungcwatjwe emathuneni aboyihlo.'' ²³ Emvakwekudla kudla anatse emanti, lomprofethi wabopha limbongolo lalomuntfu wa Nkulunkulu, lomuntfu labuye ngalo naye, ²⁴ Nakacedza kuhamba lomuntfu waNkulunkulu , wahlangana nelibhubezi emgwacweni lambulala, umtimba wakhe wasala lapho emgwacweni. Limbongolo lema eceleni kwawo, nalo lelibhubezi lema lapho eceleni. ²⁵ Uma bamntfu bendlula babona lomtimba ulele emgcwacweni, libhubezi lime eceleni kwawo, babuya bayisho edolobheni lapho bekuhlala khona lomprofethi lomdzala. ²⁶ Nakeva lomprofethi lambuyise emuva eva loku, watsi, ''Ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu lowece umyalelo welivi la Smakadze. Ngakoke Smakadze umnikele ebhubezini, lelimdzabule tinvitsi lambulala, njengoba livi laSmakadze limecwayisile,'' ²⁷ Ngako lomprofethi lomdzala wakhuluma nemadvodzana akhe, ''Khungani imbongolo yami,'' balikhunga. ²⁸ Waphuma watfola umtimba udzindzibele umgwacweni, nelimbongolo nelibhubezi kube eceleni kwemtimba. Lelibhubezi belingakawudli lomtimba, noma lahlasela limbongolo. ²⁹ Lomprofethi waphakamisa umtimba walomuntfu waNkulunkulu, wawibeka embongolweni, wabuya nawo. Wabuya edolobheni lakhe watowazila amgcwabe. ³⁰ Wabeka umtimba wakhe emagcwabeni akhe, bamzilela, batsi, ''Awu, mnaketfu''! ³¹ Emva kwekutsi amgcwabe, umprofethi lomdzala wakhuluma nemadvodzana, watsi, ''Uma sengifile, ningingcwabe kulelithuna lapho kungcwatjwe khona lomuntfu waNkulunkulu. Nibeke ematsambo ami eceleni kwematsambo akhe. ³² Ngoba lomlayeto lawusho ngelivi la Smakadze, ngeli alitha eBetheli futsi ngato tonkhe tindlu etindzweni letiphakeme emadolobheni ase Samariya, itawenteka nokanjani.'' ³³ Emva kwaloku Jerobowamu akazange agucuka etindleleni takhe letimbi, kodvwa wachubeka wakhetsa bapristi laba ntekenteke etindzaweni letinkhulu kunabo bonkhe bantfu. Noma ngubani losebentako abemabela njenge mpristi. ³⁴ Lenkinga lena yaba sono emndenini waka Jerobowamu kwabangeleka kutsi umndeni wakhe ubhubhe ushabalale ungasabi khona emhlabeni.