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羅波安繼位(A)

10 羅波安到示劍去,因為全體以色列人都去了示劍,要立他作王。 那時,尼八的兒子耶羅波安,因為逃避所羅門王,住在埃及;他一聽見這事,就從埃及回來。 他們派人去叫耶羅波安回來;他就和全體以色列人來見羅波安,對他說: “你父親使我們所負的軛甚重,現在求你減輕你父親加在我們身上的勞役和重軛,我們就服事你。” 羅波安對他們說:“三天以後你們再來見我吧!”眾人就離去了。

不採納老年人的意見(B)

羅波安王和一些在他父親所羅門在世的時候,侍立在所羅門面前的老人商議,說:“你們有甚麼提議,我好回覆這班民眾呢?” 他們對他說:“如果王善待人民,使他們喜悅,對他們說好話,他們就必永遠作你的僕人。”

聽從少年人的計謀(C)

王不接受這些老人的意見,卻去和那些同他一起長大,侍立在他面前的年輕人商議, 問他們:“這人民對我說:求你減輕你父親加在我們身上的重軛吧。你們有甚麼提議,我好回覆他們呢?” 10 那些同他一起長大的年輕人對他說:“這人民對王說:‘你父親使我們所負的軛甚重,現在求你減輕些吧。’王要這樣對他們說:‘我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗呢。 11 我父親把重軛加在你們身上,我必使你們負更重的軛;我父親用鞭打你們,我卻要用蠍子鞭責打你們。’”

12 耶羅波安和全體人民都遵照羅波安王所說“你們第三天再來見我”的話,第三天來見羅波安。 13 羅波安王很嚴厲地回答他們。羅波安王不接受老人的意見, 14 卻照著年輕人的主意對他們說:“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,我卻要用蠍子鞭責打你們。” 15 王不聽從人民的要求,這事原是出於 神,為要實現耶和華藉著示羅人亞希雅對尼八的兒子耶羅波安所說的話。

以色列人背叛(D)

16 以色列人見王不聽他們的要求,就對王說:

“我們和大衛有甚麼關係呢?

我們和耶西的兒子並不相干。

以色列人哪,各回各家去吧,

大衛啊,現在只顧你自己的家吧。”

於是全體以色列人都回自己的家去了。 17 只有那些住在猶大眾城鎮的以色列人,羅波安仍然作他們的王。 18 羅波安王差派了監管苦工的哈多蘭(“哈多蘭”是“亞多尼蘭”或“亞多蘭”的另一種寫法;參王上4:6,12:18)到以色列人那裡去,以色列人就用石頭把他打死了。羅波安王急忙上車,逃回耶路撒冷去了。 19 這樣,以色列人背叛了大衛家,直到今日。

After the death of King Solomon, nothing is ever the same in Israel. Many of the Israelites rebel against God, no longer follow God’s elected Judahite kings, and form the new Northern Kingdom with their own kings and heretical temples.

10 After his father died, King Rehoboam went to Shechem in Northern Israel to be coronated before all the Israelites. The news of the impending coronation reached Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, where he was living as an exile in Egypt, so he hastily returned to Israel.

King Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam when the prophet Ahijah predicted that Israel would divide into two countries with Jeroboam leading the Northern Kingdom.

The Israelites requested that Jeroboam meet them in Shechem at the coronation. Together, they made a request of Rehoboam, who would be their new king.

This next conversation between Rehoboam and the tribes is pivotal for the nation of Israel and the twelve tribes. The prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite in the 1 Kings 11 story foreshadows that God is going to give Judah—and neighboring Benjamin—to Rehoboam, but Jeroboam in the north gets ten tribes. The story is ironic since it appears that the Eternal favors Jeroboam by giving him most of the Israelite tribes and territory, and Rehoboam is portrayed as a despotic fool. In the end, the Davidic offspring, King Rehoboam, has a disastrous reign, and Jeroboam sets up Dan and Bethel as temple sites to worship the Eternal One. It seems that a king, whether in the Northern or Southern Kingdom, is a bad deal for the people.

Israelites (to Rehoboam): Your father made us work very hard for the building of Israel. We built cities and palaces and temples and roads for him. We are tired of this constant work which your father required. If you will reduce the amount of work we are required to perform for the nation, then we will coronate you as king and serve you as your people.

Rehoboam: Let me think about this for three days. Then I will give you an answer.

As the Israelites left, King Rehoboam asked older men who were his father Solomon’s advisors for advice about the situation.

Rehoboam: What do you think I should tell the people?

Solomon’s Advisors: Listen to their concerns, show them kindness, and please them. Then they will be your subjects and will always respect you.

But Rehoboam did not listen to the advisors’ recommendation. Instead he asked the opinions of his childhood friends who were more likely to give him the advice that he wanted to hear.

Rehoboam: How do you think I should answer these people’s request that I reduce the amount of work my father required of them?

These younger childhood “counselors” encourage Rehoboam to be a stronger, more dominant ruler instead of a kinder, more respected ruler.

Rehoboam’s Friends: 10 Tell those who want a reduced workload, “I am stronger and more virile than my father ever was! 11 You will long for my father’s leniency. He made you work hard, but I will make you work even harder. He disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with the sting of scorpions.”

12 On the third day, Jeroboam and the Israelites returned to Rehoboam as the king had requested. 13-14 The king followed the advice of his young friends, answering harshly and ignoring the advice of his father’s advisors.

Rehoboam: You will long for my father’s leniency. He made you work hard, but I will make you work even harder. He disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with the sting of scorpions.

15 By ignoring the Israelites’ desires, the king fulfilled the Eternal God’s prophecy that was spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat. 16 Just as predicted, the Northern tribes formed a nation separate from Judah because the king did not listen to them.

Israelites (to Rehoboam): God promised the kingdom of Israel to David and his sons. Why should we follow David’s descendants when we do not share in the inheritance of Jesse’s son? Let us form our own nation in the North, and so every Israelite should return to his house. In the same way, let the Judahites and the Benjaminites continue by themselves as the house of David in the South.

Most of the Israelites left Shechem to form a new Northern Kingdom, 17 but a few Israelites remained in the cities of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, because they recognized that Rehoboam was their rightful king.

18 In a final attempt to reunite his father Solomon’s kingdom, King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the superintendent of Solomon’s forced labor, into Israel to compel the Northern Kingdom to accept Rehoboam as their king. But the Israelites stoned Hadoram to death. Realizing the anger of the Northern Kingdom, King Rehoboam fled in his chariot to Jerusalem. 19 Thus the Northern Kingdom of Israel has rebelled against the Southern Kingdom, the Davidic kings in Judah, until today.

10 罗 波 安 往 示 剑 去 , 因 为 以 色 列 人 都 到 了 示 剑 , 要 立 他 作 王 。

尼 八 的 儿 子 耶 罗 波 安 先 前 躲 避 所 罗 门 王 , 逃 往 埃 及 , 住 在 那 里 ; 他 听 见 这 事 , 就 从 埃 及 回 来 。

以 色 列 人 打 发 人 去 请 他 , 他 就 和 以 色 列 众 人 来 见 罗 波 安 , 对 他 说 :

你 父 亲 使 我 们 负 重 轭 做 苦 工 , 现 在 求 你 使 我 们 做 的 苦 工 负 的 重 轭 轻 松 些 , 我 们 就 事 奉 你 。

罗 波 安 对 他 们 说 : 第 三 日 再 来 见 我 罢 ! 民 就 去 了 。

罗 波 安 之 父 所 罗 门 在 世 的 日 子 , 有 侍 立 在 他 面 前 的 老 年 人 , 罗 波 安 王 和 他 们 商 议 , 说 : 你 们 给 我 出 个 甚 麽 主 意 , 我 好 回 覆 这 民 。

老 年 人 对 他 说 : 王 若 恩 待 这 民 , 使 他 们 喜 悦 , 用 好 话 回 覆 他 们 , 他 们 就 永 远 作 王 的 仆 人 。

王 却 不 用 老 年 人 给 他 出 的 主 意 , 就 和 那 些 与 他 一 同 长 大 、 在 他 面 前 侍 立 的 少 年 人 商 议 ,

说 : 这 民 对 我 说 : 你 父 亲 使 我 们 负 重 轭 , 求 你 使 我 们 轻 松 些 ; 你 们 给 我 出 个 甚 麽 主 意 , 我 好 回 覆 他 们 。

10 那 同 他 长 大 的 少 年 人 说 : 这 民 对 王 说 : 你 父 亲 使 我 们 负 重 轭 , 求 你 使 我 们 轻 松 些 ; 王 要 对 他 们 如 此 说 : 我 的 小 拇 指 比 我 父 亲 的 腰 还 粗 ;

11 我 父 亲 使 你 们 负 重 轭 , 我 必 使 你 们 负 更 重 的 轭 ; 我 父 亲 用 鞭 子 责 打 你 们 , 我 要 用 蝎 子 鞭 责 打 你 们 。

12 耶 罗 波 安 和 众 百 姓 遵 着 罗 波 安 王 所 说 你 们 第 三 日 再 来 见 我 的 那 话 , 第 三 日 他 们 果 然 来 了 。

13 罗 波 安 王 用 严 厉 的 话 回 覆 他 们 , 不 用 老 年 人 所 出 的 主 意 ,

14 照 着 少 年 人 所 出 的 主 意 对 他 们 说 : 我 父 亲 使 你 们 负 重 轭 , 我 必 使 你 们 负 更 重 的 轭 ; 我 父 亲 用 鞭 子 责 打 你 们 , 我 要 用 蝎 子 鞭 责 打 你 们 。

15 王 不 肯 依 从 百 姓 ; 这 事 乃 出 於 神 , 为 要 应 验 耶 和 华 藉 示 罗 人 亚 希 雅 对 尼 八 儿 子 耶 罗 波 安 所 说 的 话 。

16 以 色 列 众 民 见 王 不 依 从 他 们 , 就 对 王 说 : 我 们 与 大 卫 有 甚 麽 分 儿 呢 ? 与 耶 西 的 儿 子 并 没 有 关 涉 ! 以 色 列 人 哪 , 各 回 各 家 去 罢 ! 大 卫 家 啊 , 自 己 顾 自 己 罢 ! 於 是 , 以 色 列 众 人 都 回 自 己 家 里 去 了 。

17 惟 独 住 在 犹 大 城 邑 的 以 色 列 人 , 罗 波 安 仍 作 他 们 的 王 。

18 罗 波 安 王 差 遣 掌 管 服 苦 之 人 的 哈 多 兰 往 以 色 列 人 那 里 去 , 以 色 列 人 就 用 石 头 打 死 他 。 罗 波 安 王 急 忙 上 车 , 逃 回 耶 路 撒 冷 去 了 。

19 这 样 , 以 色 列 人 背 叛 大 卫 家 , 直 到 今 日 。

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