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 in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.’
5Rehoboam answered, ‘Come back to me in three days.’ 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 you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favourable 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, ‘The 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 them harshly. Rejecting the advice of 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 God, to fulfil the word that 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 all 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,10:18 Hebrew Hadoram, a variant of Adoniram who was in charge of forced labour, but the Israelites 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.
Isirayiri Ejeemera Lekobowaamu
1Lekobowaamu n’agenda e Sekemu, Abayisirayiri bonna gye baali bagenze okumufuula kabaka. 210:2 a 2By 9:29 b 1Bk 11:40Yerobowaamu mutabani wa Nebati bwe yakiwulira, kubanga yali mu Misiri gye yali addukidde mu buwaŋŋanguse, nga yeewala kabaka Sulemaani, n’akomawo. 310:3 1By 9:1Awo ne bamutumira, Yerobowaamu ne Isirayiri yenna ne bagenda eri Lekobowaamu ne bamugamba nti, 410:4 2By 2:2“Kitaawo yatuteekako ekikoligo ekinene, naye kaakano tukendeereze ku lyanyi n’ekikoligo kye yatuteekako, naffe tunaakuweereza.” 5N’abaddamu nti, “Mulikomawo gye ndi mu nnaku ssatu.” Abantu ne bagenda.
610:6 Yob 8:8-9; 12:12; 15:10; 32:7Awo kabaka Lekobowaamu ne yeebuuza ku bakadde abaaweerezanga kitaawe Sulemaani ng’akyali mulamu. N’ababuuza nti, “Mumpa kya kuddamu ki eri abantu bano?” 710:7 Nge 15:1Ne bamugamba nti, “Bw’onooba ow’ekisa eri abantu bano, n’obasanyusa, n’obaddamu bulungi, banaabeeranga baddu bo ennaku zonna.”
810:8 a 2Sa 17:14 b Nge 13:20Naye Lekobowaamu n’aggaya amagezi abakadde ge baali bamuwadde, n’agenda ne yeebuuza ku bavubuka be yali akuze nabo, ate nga be bamuweereza mu kiseera ekyo. 9N’ababuuza nti, “Mumpa magezi ki okuddamu abantu bano abaŋŋambye nti, ‘Tukendeereze ku kikoligo kitaawo kye yatuteekako?’ ”
10Abavubuka be yali akuze nabo ne bamuddamu nti, “Gamba abantu abakugambye nti, ‘Ekikoligo kitaawo kye yatuteekako kyali kizito, naye kaakano kitukendeerezeko,’ nti, ‘Nasswi wange asinga ekiwato kya kitange obunene. Kitange yababinika ekikoligo ekizito, naye nze nzija kwongera ku kikoligo kyammwe obuzito. 11Kitange yabakangavvulanga na nkoba naye nze nzija kubakangavvulanga na njaba ez’obusagwa.’ ”
12Bwe waayitawo ennaku essatu Yerobowaamu n’abantu bonna ne bagenda eri Lekobowaamu, nga kabaka bwe yali ayogedde nti, “Mukomeewo oluvannyuma lw’ennaku ssatu.” 13Kabaka n’addamu n’ebboggo. N’agaana okuwuliriza amagezi g’abakadde, 14n’agoberera amagezi ag’abavubuka, n’ayogera nti, “Kitange yababinika ekikoligo ekizito, naye nze nzija kukyongerako obuzito. Kitange yabakangavvulanga na nkoba, naye nze nzija kubakangavvulanga na njaba ez’obusagwa.” 1510:15 a 2By 11:4; 25:16-20 b 1Bk 11:29Kabaka n’atawuliriza bantu kubanga bw’atyo Katonda bwe yasiima, okutuukiriza ekigambo Mukama kye yayogera ku Yerobowaamu mutabani wa Nebati ng’ayita mu Akiya Omusiiro.
1610:16 a 1By 9:1 b nny 19; 2Sa 20:1Awo Isirayiri yenna bwe baalaba nga kabaka agaanye okubawuliriza, ne bamuddamu nti,
“Mugabo ki gwe tulina mu Dawudi,
era busika ki bwe tulina mu mutabani wa Yese?
Buli omu ku mmwe, addeyo mu weema ye, ayi Isirayiri!
Mmwe ennyumba ye Dawudi mwerabirire.”
Awo Abayisirayiri bonna ne baddayo ewaabwe. 17Naye abo abaabeeranga mu bibuga bya Yuda, Lekobowaamu n’asigala ng’abafuga.
1810:18 1Bk 5:14Kabaka Lekobowaamu n’atuma Kadolaamu eyavunaanyizibwanga emirimu egy’ekipakasi, naye Abayisirayiri ne bamukuba amayinja ne bamutta. Kabaka Lekobowaamu ye n’ayanguwa okulinnya eggaali lye n’addukira e Yerusaalemi. 19Awo Isirayiri ne bajeemera ennyumba ya Dawudi n’okutuusa leero.
