列王纪上 12
1 罗波安往示剑去；因为以色列人都到了示剑要立他作王。
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
2 尼八的儿子耶罗波安先前躲避所罗门王，逃往埃及，住在那里（他听见这事。）
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.
3 以色列人打发人去请他来，他就和以色列会众都来见罗波安，对他说：
So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,
4 “你父亲使我们负重轭，做苦工，现在求你使我们做的苦工、负的重轭轻松些，我们就事奉你。”
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 罗波安对他们说：“你们暂且去，第三日再来见我。”民就去了。
Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people departed.
6 罗波安之父所罗门在世的日子，有侍立在他面前的老年人，罗波安王和他们商议，说：“你们给我出个什么主意，我好回复这民。”
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.
7 老年人对他说：“现在王若服事这民如仆人，用好话回答他们，他们就永远作王的仆人。”
They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 王却不用老年人给他出的主意，就和那些与他一同长大、在他面前侍立的少年人商议，
But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
9 说：“这民对我说：‘你父亲使我们负重轭，求你使我们轻松些。’你们给我出个什么主意，我好回复他们。”
He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 那同他长大的少年人说：“这民对王说：‘你父亲使我们负重轭，求你使我们轻松些。’王要对他们如此说：‘我的小拇指头比我父亲的腰还粗。
The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11 我父亲使你们负重轭，我必使你们负更重的轭！我父亲用鞭子责打你们，我要用蝎子鞭责打你们！’”
Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
12 耶罗波安和众百姓遵着罗波安王所说“你们第三日再来见我”的那话，第三日他们果然来了。
After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
13 王用严厉的话回答百姓，不用老年人给他所出的主意，
And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders
14 照着少年人所出的主意对民说：“我父亲使你们负重轭，我必使你们负更重的轭！我父亲用鞭子责打你们，我要用蝎子鞭责打你们！”
and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”
15 王不肯依从百姓，这事乃出于耶和华，为要应验他借示罗人亚希雅对尼八的儿子耶罗波安所说的话。
So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
16 以色列众民见王不依从他们，就对王说： 我们与大卫有什么分儿呢？ 与耶西的儿子并没有关涉。 以色列人哪，各回各家去吧！ 大卫家啊，自己顾自己吧！ 于是，以色列人都回自己家里去了，
When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,
17 惟独住犹大城邑的以色列人，罗波安仍作他们的王。
but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
18 罗波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的亚多兰往以色列人那里去，以色列人就用石头打死他。罗波安王急忙上车，逃回耶路撒冷去了。
Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.
19 这样，以色列人背叛大卫家，直到今日。
So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
20 以色列众人听见耶罗波安回来了，就打发人去请他到会众面前，立他作以色列众人的王。除了犹大支派以外，没有顺从大卫家的。
When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
21 罗波安来到耶路撒冷，招聚犹大全家和便雅悯支派的人共十八万，都是挑选的战士，要与以色列家争战，好将国夺回，再归所罗门的儿子罗波安。
And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22 但 神的话临到神人示玛雅，说：
But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
23 “你去告诉所罗门的儿子犹大王罗波安和犹大、便雅悯全家，并其余的民说：
“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people
24 ‘耶和华如此说：你们不可上去与你们的弟兄以色列人争战。各归各家去吧！因为这事出于我。’”众人就听从耶和华的话，遵着耶和华的命回去了。
that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD.
25 耶罗波安在以法莲山地建筑示剑，就住在其中；又从示剑出去，建筑毗努伊勒。
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.
26 耶罗波安心里说：“恐怕这国仍归大卫家；
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.
27 这民若上耶路撒冷去，在耶和华的殿里献祭，他们的心必归向他们的主—犹大王罗波安，就把我杀了，仍归犹大王罗波安。”
If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28 耶罗波安王就筹划定妥，铸造了两个金牛犊，对众民说：“以色列人哪，你们上耶路撒冷去实在是难；这就是领你们出埃及地的神。”
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
29 他就把牛犊一只安在伯特利，一只安在但。
One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 这事叫百姓陷在罪里，因为他们往但去拜那牛犊。
And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.
31 耶罗波安在邱坛那里建殿，将那不属利未人的凡民立为祭司。
Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.
32 耶罗波安定八月十五日为节期，像在犹大的节期一样，自己上坛献祭。他在伯特利也这样向他所铸的牛犊献祭，又将立为邱坛的祭司安置在伯特利。
And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.
33 他在八月十五日，就是他私自所定的月日，为以色列人立作节期的日子，在伯特利上坛烧香。
On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. So he ordained a feast for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.
