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10 Rechav‘am went to Sh’khem, where all Isra’el had come in order to proclaim him king. When Yarov‘am the son of N’vat heard of it, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo. They sent and summoned him, so Yarov‘am and all Isra’el came and said to Rechav‘am, “Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you.” He said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” So the people left.

King Rechav‘am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, “What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?” They said to him, “If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever.” But he didn’t take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants. He said to them, “What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us’?” 10 The young men he had grown up with said to him, “The people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter for us’ — here’s the answer you should give them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I [will control you] with scorpions!’”

12 So Yarov‘am and all the people came to Rechav‘am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, “Come to me again the third day”; 13 and the king answered them harshly. Abandoning the advice of the older men, King Rechav‘am 14 addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!” 15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; and that was something God brought about, so that Adonai could fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov‘am the son of N’vat.

16 When all Isra’el [saw] that the king wasn’t listening to them, the people answered the king,

“Do we have any share in David?
We have no heritage in the son of Yishai!
Everyone to your tents, Isra’el!
Care for your own house, David!”

So all Isra’el left for their tents.

17 But as for the people of Isra’el living in the cities of Y’hudah, Rechav‘am ruled over them. 18 King Rechav‘am then sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but the people of Isra’el stoned him to death. King Rechav‘am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim. 19 Isra’el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.

Isirayiri Ejeemera Lekobowaamu

10 Lekobowaamu n’agenda e Sekemu, Abayisirayiri bonna gye baali bagenze okumufuula kabaka. (A)Yerobowaamu mutabani wa Nebati bwe yakiwulira, kubanga yali mu Misiri gye yali addukidde mu buwaŋŋanguse, nga yeewala kabaka Sulemaani, n’akomawo. (B)Awo ne bamutumira, Yerobowaamu ne Isirayiri yenna ne bagenda eri Lekobowaamu ne bamugamba nti, (C)“Kitaawo yatuteekako ekikoligo ekinene, naye kaakano tukendeereze ku lyanyi n’ekikoligo kye yatuteekako, naffe tunaakuweereza.” N’abaddamu nti, “Mulikomawo gye ndi mu nnaku ssatu.” Abantu ne bagenda.

(D)Awo kabaka Lekobowaamu ne yeebuuza ku bakadde abaaweerezanga kitaawe Sulemaani ng’akyali mulamu. N’ababuuza nti, “Mumpa kya kuddamu ki eri abantu bano?” (E)Ne bamugamba nti, “Bw’onooba ow’ekisa eri abantu bano, n’obasanyusa, n’obaddamu bulungi, banaabeeranga baddu bo ennaku zonna.”

(F)Naye 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. N’ababuuza nti, “Mumpa magezi ki okuddamu abantu bano abaŋŋambye nti, ‘Tukendeereze ku kikoligo kitaawo kye yatuteekako?’ ”

10 Abavubuka 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. 11 Kitange yabakangavvulanga na nkoba naye nze nzija kubakangavvulanga na njaba ez’obusagwa.’ ”

12 Bwe waayitawo ennaku essatu Yerobowaamu n’abantu bonna ne bagenda eri Lekobowaamu, nga kabaka bwe yali ayogedde nti, “Mukomeewo oluvannyuma lw’ennaku ssatu.” 13 Kabaka n’addamu n’ebboggo. N’agaana okuwuliriza amagezi g’abakadde, 14 n’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.” 15 (G)Kabaka n’atawuliriza bantu kubanga bw’atyo Katonda bwe yasiima, okutuukiriza ekigambo Mukama kye yayogera ku Yerobowaamu mutabani wa Nebati ng’ayita mu Akiya Omusiiro.

16 (H)Awo 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. 17 Naye abo abaabeeranga mu bibuga bya Yuda, Lekobowaamu n’asigala ng’abafuga.

18 (I)Kabaka 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. 19 Awo Isirayiri ne bajeemera ennyumba ya Dawudi n’okutuusa leero.

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam(A)

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. When Jeroboam(B) son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled(C) from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel(D) went to Rehoboam and said to him: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us,(E) but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders(F) who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer,(G) they will always be your servants.”

But Rehoboam rejected(H) the advice the elders(I) gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The 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. 11 My 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.’”

12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13 The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, 14 he 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.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God,(J) to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.(K)

16 When all Israel(L) saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David,(M)
    what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
    Look after your own house, David!”

So all the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,[a](N) who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Hebrew Hadoram, a variant of Adoniram