歷代志下 10
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)
羅波安違棄耆老之謀
10 羅波安往示劍去，因為以色列人都到了示劍，要立他做王。 2 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王，逃往埃及，住在那裡，他聽見這事，就從埃及回來。 3 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： 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，我們就侍奉你。」 5 羅波安對他們說：「第三日再來見我吧。」民就去了。
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：「你們給我出個什麼主意，我好回覆這民。」 7 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。」 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， 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人亞希雅對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往以色列人那裡去，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。
2 Chronicles 10
The Voice
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. 2 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.
3 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): 4 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: 5 Let me think about this for three days. Then I will give you an answer.
As the Israelites left, 6 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: 7 Listen to their concerns, show them kindness, and please them. Then they will be your subjects and will always respect you.
8 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: 9 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.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.