列王紀上 12
1 羅波安往示劍去；因為以色列人都到了示劍要立他作王。
Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
2 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王，逃往埃及，住在那裏（他聽見這事。）
And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt), he came straight to his own city in the land of Zererah in the hill country of Ephraim.
3 以色列人打發人去請他來，他就和以色列會眾都來見羅波安，對他說：
And they sent and called for him. And Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 「你父親使我們負重軛，做苦工，現在求你使我們做的苦工、負的重軛輕鬆些，我們就事奉你。」
"Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you."
5 羅波安對他們說：「你們暫且去，第三日再來見我。」民就去了。
He said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." The people departed.
6 羅波安之父所羅門在世的日子，有侍立在他面前的老年人，羅波安王和他們商議，說：「你們給我出個甚麼主意，我好回覆這民。」
King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, "What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?"
7 老年人對他說：「現在王若服事這民如僕人，用好話回答他們，他們就永遠作王的僕人。」
They spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."
8 王卻不用老年人給他出的主意，就和那些與他一同長大、在他面前侍立的少年人商議，
But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9 說：「這民對我說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你使我們輕鬆些。』你們給我出個甚麼主意，我好回覆他們。」
He said to them, "What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?'"
10 那同他長大的少年人說：「這民對王說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你使我們輕鬆些。』王要對他們如此說：『我的小拇指頭比我父親的腰還粗。
The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall tell this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;' you shall say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
11 我父親使你們負重軛，我必使你們負更重的軛！我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們！』」
Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'"
12 耶羅波安和眾百姓遵着羅波安王所說「你們第三日再來見我」的那話，第三日他們果然來了。
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, "Come to me again the third day."
13 王用嚴厲的話回答百姓，不用老年人給他所出的主意，
The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,
14 照着少年人所出的主意對民說：「我父親使你們負重軛，我必使你們負更重的軛！我父親用鞭子責打你們，我要用蠍子鞭責打你們！」
and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
15 王不肯依從百姓，這事乃出於耶和華，為要應驗他藉示羅人亞希雅對尼八的兒子耶羅波安所說的話。
So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Jehovah, that he might establish his word, which Jehovah spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 以色列眾民見王不依從他們，就對王說： 我們與大衛有甚麼分兒呢？ 與耶西的兒子並沒有關涉。 以色列人哪，各回各家去吧！ 大衛家啊，自己顧自己吧！ 於是，以色列人都回自己家裏去了，
When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel. Now see to your own house, David." So Israel departed to their tents.
17 惟獨住猶大城邑的以色列人，羅波安仍作他們的王。
But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 羅波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的亞多蘭往以色列人那裏去，以色列人就用石頭打死他。羅波安王急忙上車，逃回耶路撒冷去了。
Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 這樣，以色列人背叛大衛家，直到今日。
So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.
20 以色列眾人聽見耶羅波安回來了，就打發人去請他到會眾面前，立他作以色列眾人的王。除了猶大支派以外，沒有順從大衛家的。
It happened, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 羅波安來到耶路撒冷，招聚猶大全家和便雅憫支派的人共十八萬，都是挑選的戰士，要與以色列家爭戰，好將國奪回，再歸所羅門的兒子羅波安。
When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 但上帝的話臨到神人示瑪雅，說：
But the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 「你去告訴所羅門的兒子猶大王羅波安和猶大、便雅憫全家，並其餘的民說：
"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24 『耶和華如此說：你們不可上去與你們的弟兄以色列人爭戰。各歸各家去吧！因為這事出於我。』」眾人就聽從耶和華的話，遵着耶和華的命回去了。
'Thus says Jehovah, "You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is of me."'" So they listened to the word of Jehovah, and returned and went their way, according to the word of Jehovah.
25 耶羅波安在以法蓮山地建築示劍，就住在其中；又從示劍出去，建築毗努伊勒。
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.
26 耶羅波安心裏說：「恐怕這國仍歸大衛家；
Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
27 這民若上耶路撒冷去，在耶和華的殿裏獻祭，他們的心必歸向他們的主－猶大王羅波安，就把我殺了，仍歸猶大王羅波安。」
If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."
28 耶羅波安王就籌劃定妥，鑄造了兩個金牛犢，對眾民說：「以色列人哪，你們上耶路撒冷去實在是難；這就是領你們出埃及地的神。」
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
29 他就把牛犢一隻安在伯特利，一隻安在但。
He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
30 這事叫百姓陷在罪裏，因為他們往但去拜那牛犢。
Then this thing became a sin, for the people went before the one at Bethel and before the one as far as Dan.
31 耶羅波安在邱壇那裏建殿，將那不屬利未人的凡民立為祭司。
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 耶羅波安定八月十五日為節期，像在猶大的節期一樣，自己上壇獻祭。他在伯特利也這樣向他所鑄的牛犢獻祭，又將立為邱壇的祭司安置在伯特利。
Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; he did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
33 他在八月十五日，就是他私自所定的月日，為以色列人立作節期的日子，在伯特利上壇燒香。
He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.
