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羅波安違棄耆老之謀

10 羅波安示劍去,因為以色列人都到了示劍,要立他做王。 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王,逃往埃及,住在那裡,他聽見這事,就從埃及回來。 以色列人打發人去請他,他就和以色列眾人來見羅波安,對他說: 「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,我們就侍奉你。」 羅波安對他們說:「第三日再來見我吧。」民就去了。

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:「你們給我出個什麼主意,我好回覆這民。」 老年人對他說:「王若恩待這民,使他們喜悅,用好話回覆他們,他們就永遠做王的僕人。」 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, 說:「這民對我說:『你父親使我們負重軛,求你使我們輕鬆些。』你們給我出個什麼主意,我好回覆他們。」 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:『我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗! 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。』」

12 耶羅波安和眾百姓遵著羅波安王所說「你們第三日再來見我」的那話,第三日他們果然來了。 13 羅波安王用嚴厲的話回覆他們,不用老年人所出的主意, 14 照著少年人所出的主意對他們說:「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,我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。」 15 王不肯依從百姓,這事乃出於神,為要應驗耶和華藉示羅亞希雅尼八兒子耶羅波安所說的話。

以色列人叛

16 以色列眾民見王不依從他們,就對王說:「我們與大衛有什麼份兒呢?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,以色列眾人都回自己家裡去了。 17 唯獨住在猶大城邑的以色列人,羅波安仍做他們的王。 18 羅波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的哈多蘭以色列人那裡去,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。 19 這樣,以色列人背叛大衛家,直到今日。

The Revolt Against Rehoboam

10 (A)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, (B)where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, (C)“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men,[a] who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, (D)“If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word, (E)which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. (F)Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent (G)Hadoram,[b] who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 10:6 Or the elders; also verses 8, 13
  2. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Spelled Adoram in 1 Kings 12:18

The Northern Tribes Revolt(A)

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the people of northern Israel had gathered to make him king. When Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had gone to Egypt to escape from King Solomon, heard this news, he returned home. The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him, “Your father placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects.”

Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to consider the matter. Then come back.” So the people left.

King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as his father Solomon's advisers. “What answer do you advise me to give these people?” he asked.

They replied, “If you are kind to these people and try to please them by giving a considerate answer, they will always serve you loyally.”

But he ignored the advice of the older men and went instead to the young men who had grown up with him and who were now his advisers. “What do you advise me to do?” he asked. “What shall I say to the people who are asking me to make their burdens lighter?”

10 They replied, “This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.’ 11 Tell them, ‘My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!’”

12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to King Rehoboam, as he had instructed them. 13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the people, 14 as the younger men had advised. He said, “My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!” 15 It was the will of the Lord God to bring about what he had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. This is why the king did not pay any attention to the people.

16 (B)When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, “Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself!”

So the people of Israel rebelled, 17 leaving Rehoboam as king only of the people who lived in the territory of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to go to the Israelites, but they stoned him to death. At this, Rehoboam hurriedly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. 19 Ever since that time the people of the northern kingdom of Israel have been in rebellion against the dynasty of David.