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。
And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together 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。）
But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.
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 him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, 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。」
Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now therefore do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 羅波安對他們說：「你們暫且去，第三日再來見我。」民就去了。
And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,
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 Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer 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 said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people today, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.
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 left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and 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。」
And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke which thy father put upon 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。
And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
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！』」
And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat 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 Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, 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，
And the king answered the people roughly, leaving 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 he 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 beat you with whips, but I will beat 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。
And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
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，
Then the people seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai? Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now David look to thy own house. So Israel departed to their dwellings.
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 all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam 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 Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died. Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem:
19 這樣，以色列人背叛大衛家，直到今日。
And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto 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。
And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda 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。
And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred four-score thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam the son of Solomon.
22 但上帝的話臨到神人示瑪雅，說：
But the word of the Lord came to Semeias 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 Roboam the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and 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 saith the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.
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。
And Jeroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence he built Phanuel.
26 耶羅波安心裏說：「恐怕這國仍歸大衛家；
And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom 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 go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.
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。」
And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
29 他就把牛犢一隻安在伯特利，一隻安在但。
And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:
30 這事叫百姓陷在罪裏，因為他們往但去拜那牛犢。
And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf 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 temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of 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。
And he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda. And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which 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。
And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went upon the altar to burn incense.
