Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from12:2 Or he remained in Egypt. 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.
6Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.
7They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
8But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”
12Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 14he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
16When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:
“What share do we have in David,
what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
Look after your own house, David!”
So the Israelites went home. 17But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
18King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,12:18 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
21When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’ ” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.
Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan
25Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.12:25 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel
26Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”
28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.12:30 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text people went to the one as far as Dan
31Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
Aisraeli Awukira Rehobowamu
1Rehobowamu anapita ku Sekemu, pakuti Aisraeli onse nʼkuti atapita kumeneko kukamulonga ufumu. 2Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati anamva zimenezi. Nthawi imeneyo nʼkuti Yeroboamuyo akukhala ku Igupto, pakuti atathawa Mfumu Solomoni iyeyo anakakhala ku Igupto. 3Tsono anthu anayitanitsa Yeroboamu, ndipo iye pamodzi ndi gulu lonse la ku Israeli anapita kwa Rehobowamu ndipo anamuwuza kuti, 4“Abambo anu anatisenzetsa goli lolemetsa kwambiri, koma inu chepetsani ntchito yowawa pa ife ndipo peputsani goli lolemetsa limene anatisenzetsa. Mukatero tidzakutumikirani.”
5Rehobowamu anayankha kuti, “Pitani, ndipo pakatha masiku atatu, mudzabwerenso.” Choncho anthuwo anapitadi.
6Ndipo Mfumu Rehobowamu anapempha nzeru kwa akuluakulu amene ankatumikira Solomoni abambo ake pamene anali ndi moyo. Iye anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi mungandilangize zotani kuti ndiwayankhe anthu amenewa?”
7Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ngati lero mudzakhala mtumiki wa anthu amenewa ndi kuwatumikira ndipo mukawayankha bwino, iwowo adzakhala atumiki anu nthawi zonse.”
8Koma Rehobowamu anakana malangizo amene akuluakuluwo anamupatsa ndipo anafunsira nzeru kwa anyamata anzake amene anakulira nawo limodzi omwe ankamutumikira. 9Iye anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi malangizo anu ngotani? Kodi ndiwayankhe chiyani anthu amene akunena kwa ine kuti, ‘Peputsani goli limene abambo anu anatisenzetsa’?”
10Anyamata anzake amene anakula nawo limodzi aja anamuyankha kuti, “Anthu amene ananena kwa iwe kuti, ‘Abambo anu anatisenzetsa goli lolemetsa, koma inu peputsani goli lathu,’ uwawuze kuti ‘Chala changa chakanise nʼchachikulu kupambana chiwuno cha abambo anga. 11Abambo anga ankakusenzetsani goli lolemetsa koma ine ndidzachititsa kuti likhale lolemera kwambiri. Abambo anga ankakukwapulani ndi zikoti wamba koma ine ndidzakukwapulani ndi zinkhanira.’ ”
12Patapita masiku atatu, Yeroboamu pamodzi ndi anthu onse anabwera kwa Rehobowamu, monga momwe inanenera mfumu kuti, “Mudzabwere pakatha masiku atatu.” 13Mfumuyo inawayankha anthuwo mwankhanza. Kukana malangizo amene akuluakulu anayipatsa. 14Anatsatira malangizo amene anyamata anzake anamupatsa ndipo anati “Abambo anga ankakusenzetsani goli lolemetsa. Ine ndidzachititsa kuti likhale lolemera kwambiri. Abambo anga ankakukwapulani ndi zikoti wamba koma ine ndidzakukwapulani ndi zinkhanira.” 15Choncho mfumu sinamvere pempho la anthuwo, pakuti zinthu izi zinali zochokera kwa Yehova, kukwaniritsa mawu amene Yehova anayankhula kwa Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati kudzera mwa Ahiya wa ku Silo.
16Aisraeli onse ataona kuti mfumu yakana kumva zopempha zawo, iwo anayankha mfumu kuti,
“Kodi ife tili ndi gawo lanji mwa Davide,
ndi gawo lanjinso mwa mwana wa Yese?
Inu Aisraeli, bwererani ku matenti anu!
Ziyangʼanira nyumba yako, Iwe Davide!”
Kotero Aisraeli anachoka napita ku nyumba zawo. 17Koma Aisraeli amene ankakhala mʼmizinda ya Yuda ankalamuliridwa ndi Rehobowamu.
18Mfumu Rehobowamu anatuma Adoramu amene ankayangʼanira ntchito yathangata, koma Aisraeli onse anamugeda ndi miyala mpaka kumupha. Koma Mfumu Rehobowamu anakwera msangamsanga galeta wake nathawira ku Yerusalemu. 19Choncho Aisraeli akhala akuwukira nyumba ya Davide mpaka lero lino.
20Aisraeli onse atamva kuti Yeroboamu wabwerera kuchokera ku Igupto, anatumiza mawu okamuyitana kuti abwere ku msonkhano ndipo anamuyika kukhala mfumu ya Aisraeli onse. Fuko la Yuda lokha ndi lomwe linkatsatira nyumba ya Davide.
21Rehobowamu atafika ku Yerusalemu, anasonkhanitsa nyumba yonse ya Yuda ndi fuko la Benjamini, nasankha ankhondo okwanira 180,000, kuti akamenyane ndi nyumba ya Israeli kuti amubwezere Rehobowamu mwana wa Solomoni ufumu wake.
22Koma Mulungu anayankhula ndi Semaya, munthu wa Mulungu kuti, 23“Nena kwa Rehobowamu mwana wa Solomoni mfumu ya Yuda, kwa nyumba yonse ya Yuda ndi Benjamini, ndiponso kwa anthu ena onse kuti, 24‘Yehova akuti: Musapite kukamenyana ndi abale anu Aisraeli. Aliyense wa inu abwerere kwawo, pakuti zimenezi ndachita ndine.’ ” Choncho anthuwo anamvera mawu a Yehova ndi kubwerera kwawo, monga analamulira Yehova.
Mafano a Golide a Ana Angʼombe ku Beteli ndi ku Dani
25Tsono Yeroboamu anamanga mzinda wa Sekemu mʼdziko la mapiri la Efereimu ndipo anakhala kumeneko. Kuchokera kumeneko anapita kukamanga mzinda wa Penueli.
26Yeroboamu anaganiza mu mtima mwake kuti, “Ndithu, ufumuwu udzabwereranso ku nyumba ya Davide. 27Ngati anthuwa azipitabe kukapereka nsembe ku Nyumba ya Yehova ku Yerusalemu, adzayambanso kutsatira mbuye wawo Rehobowamu, mfumu ya Yuda. Adzandipha ndi kubwerera kwa Mfumu Rehobowamu.”
28Itapempha nzeru, mfumuyo inapanga mafano awiri a ana angʼombe. Mfumuyo inati kwa anthuwo, “Mwakhala mukupita ku Yerusalemu nthawi yayitali. Iwe Israeli, nayi milungu yako imene inakutulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto.” 29Fano lina analiyika ku Beteli ndipo lina analiyika ku Dani. 30Ndipo zimenezi zinachimwitsa anthu pakuti anthu ankapita mpaka ku Dani kukapembedza fano limene linali kumeneko.
31Yeroboamu anamanga Nyumba za Mulungu pa malo azipembedzo nasankha ansembe kuchokera pakati pa anthu wamba, ngakhale sanali Alevi. 32Iye anakhazikitsa chikondwerero pa tsiku la 15 la mwezi wachisanu ndi chitatu, lofanana ndi tsiku la chikondwerero cha ku Yuda, ndipo ankapereka nsembe pa guwa. Izi ankachita ku Beteli, kupereka nsembe kwa ana angʼombe amene anapanga. Ndipo ku Beteliko anayikako ansembe pa malo achipembedzo amene anamanga. 33Tsiku la 15 la mwezi wachisanu ndi chitatu, mwezi umene anawusankha yekha, anapereka nsembe pa guwa limene analimanga ku Beteli. Motero anakhazikitsa chikondwerero cha Aisraeli ndipo iye ankapita kukapereka nsembe yofukiza lubani pa guwa.
