1 Kings 12

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

Rehabeam pergi ke Sikhem, karena seluruh rakyat Israel bagian utara telah berkumpul di sana untuk melantik dia menjadi raja.

2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt;

Pada waktu itu Yerobeam anak Nebat masih ada di Mesir karena melarikan diri dari Raja Salomo. Ketika ia mendengar tentang Rehabeam, ia kembali ke Israel.

3 and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

Rakyat bagian utara mengundang Yerobeam, lalu mereka bersama dia pergi menghadap Rehabeam. Kata mereka,

4 “Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”

"Salomo ayah Baginda telah memberi beban yang berat kepada kami. Sekarang kalau Baginda meringankan beban dan mengurangi derita kami, kami akan mengabdi kepada Baginda."

5 He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” So the people departed.

Rehabeam menyahut, "Aku harus berpikir dahulu. Datanglah kembali tiga hari lagi." Maka pulanglah orang-orang itu.

6 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 answer these people?”

Lalu Rehabeam meminta nasihat kepada orang-orang tua yang pernah menjadi penasihat Salomo, ayah Rehabeam. "Bagaimana aku harus menjawab orang-orang itu?" tanya Rehabeam, "Apa nasihat kalian?"

7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”

Mereka menjawab, "Kalau Baginda sungguh-sungguh ingin mengabdi kepada rakyat, kabulkanlah permohonan mereka, maka mereka akan mengabdi kepada Baginda selama-lamanya."

8 But he abandoned 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.

Tetapi nasihat orang-orang tua itu tidak dihiraukan oleh Rehabeam. Sebaliknya, ia pergi kepada orang-orang muda yang sebaya dengan dia dan yang sekarang membantu dia.

9 He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”

Kepada mereka ia bertanya, "Apa nasihat kalian kepadaku untuk menjawab rakyat yang meminta supaya aku meringankan beban mereka?"

10 The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

Mereka menjawab, "Beginilah hendaknya Baginda katakan kepada mereka, 'Selemah-lemahnya aku, aku masih lebih kuat dari ayahku!'

11 Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

Ayahku memberikan beban yang berat kepadamu, tetapi aku akan memberikan yang lebih berat lagi. Ia menyebat kalian dengan cemeti, tetapi aku akan memecut kalian dengan cemeti berduri besi!"

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”

Tiga hari kemudian Yerobeam dan semua orang itu kembali menghadap Raja Rehabeam, seperti yang telah diperintahkannya.

13 The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

Berlawanan dengan nasihat orang-orang tua itu, rakyat yang datang kepadanya itu disapanya dengan kasar.

14 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.”

Sesuai dengan nasihat orang-orang muda, ia berkata, "Ayahku memberikan kepadamu beban yang berat, tetapi aku akan membuat beban itu lebih berat lagi. Ia menyebat kalian dengan cemeti, tetapi aku akan memecut kalian dengan cemeti berduri besi!"

15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Permintaan rakyat tidak dihiraukannya. Tetapi itu memang kehendak TUHAN. Apa yang dikatakan TUHAN melalui Nabi Ahia dari Silo mengenai Yerobeam anak Nebat harus terjadi.

16 When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.

Ketika rakyat melihat bahwa raja tidak mau mendengarkan mereka, mereka berteriak, "Perduli amat dengan Daud dan keturunannya! Mereka tidak pernah berbuat apa-apa untuk kita. Rakyat Israel, mari kita pulang! Biarkan Rehabeam itu mengurus dirinya sendiri!" Maka pulanglah rakyat Israel,

17 But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

dan Rehabeam menjadi raja hanya atas wilayah Yehuda.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labour; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

Meskipun begitu Raja Rehabeam masih juga menyuruh Adoniram, seorang kepala pekerja rodi, menenangkan rakyat. Tetapi mereka melempari dia dengan batu sampai mati. Melihat hal itu Rehabeam cepat-cepat naik ke keretanya, lalu melarikan diri ke Yerusalem.

19 So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.

Mulai saat itu rakyat di bagian utara kerajaan Israel selalu memberontak terhadap raja-raja keturunan Daud.

20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.

Pada waktu seluruh rakyat Israel mendengar bahwa Yerobeam sudah kembali dari Mesir, mereka mengundang dia ke suatu pertemuan lalu mengangkat dia menjadi raja Israel. Hanya rakyat suku Yehuda saja yang tetap setia kepada keturunan Daud.

21 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.

Ketika Raja Rehabeam tiba di Yerusalem, ia mengumpulkan 180.000 prajuritnya yang terbaik dari suku Yehuda dan Benyamin untuk memerangi orang Israel dan memulihkan kekuasaannya atas suku-suku di bagian utara Israel.

22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

Tetapi Allah menyuruh Nabi Semaya

23 “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,

menyampaikan berita ini kepada Rehabeam, dan kepada seluruh suku Yehuda dan Benyamin,

24 ‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to the LORD’s word, and returned and went their way, according to the LORD’s word.

"Janganlah memerangi saudara-saudaramu orang Israel. Pulanglah! Apa yang telah terjadi adalah kehendak-Ku." Maka mereka semuanya menuruti perintah TUHAN, lalu pulang ke rumah masing-masing.

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel.

Setelah menjadi raja Israel, Yerobeam memperkuat kota Sikhem di daerah pegunungan Efraim, lalu tinggal di sana untuk sementara waktu. Kemudian ia pergi lagi dari situ dan memperkuat kota Pnuel.

26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.

Ia berpikir begini dalam hatinya, "Jikalau rakyat tetap pergi ke Yerusalem untuk mempersembahkan kurban di Rumah TUHAN seperti yang mereka lakukan sekarang ini, mereka akan kembali mendukung Rehabeam, raja Yehuda, lalu membunuh aku."

27 If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s house 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 So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

Sesudah mempertimbangkan hal itu, ia membuat dua patung sapi emas lalu berkata kepada rakyat, "Bangsa Israel! Sudah cukup lama kalian pergi ke Yerusalem untuk beribadat. Sekarang, inilah ilah-ilahmu yang telah membawa kalian keluar dari Mesir!"

29 He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

Lalu Yerobeam menempatkan satu dari sapi emas itu di Betel dan yang lainnya di Dan.

30 This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.

Maka rakyat pun berbuat dosa, karena mereka pergi ke Betel dan ke Dan untuk beribadat.

31 He made houses of high places, and made priests from amongst all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Yerobeam juga mendirikan tempat-tempat ibadat lain di puncak-puncak gunung, dan ia mengangkat imam-imam dari antara keluarga-keluarga yang bukan suku Lewi.

32 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.

Kemudian Yerobeam menempatkan imam-imam itu di Betel untuk bertugas di sana dan ia sendiri mempersembahkan kurban kepada sapi-sapi emas yang dibuatnya itu. Lalu ia menentukan tanggal lima belas bulan delapan sebagai hari raya untuk Israel, sama seperti hari raya di Yehuda. Pada hari itu Yerobeam pergi ke Betel dan mempersembahkan kurban untuk merayakan hari raya yang telah ditentukannya itu.

33 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.