北方支派背叛羅波安

10 羅波安前往示劍,因為以色列人都去了那裡要立他為王。 尼八的兒子耶羅波安曾為了躲避所羅門王而逃往埃及,並一直住在那裡。他聽到消息便返回以色列。 以色列人派人去請他,他就和以色列眾人去見羅波安,說: 「你父親使我們負擔沉重,求你減輕我們的負擔吧,我們一定效忠你。」 羅波安對他們說:「你們三天之後再來見我。」眾人就離開了。

羅波安王去徵詢曾服侍他父親所羅門的老臣的意見,說:「你們認為我該怎樣回覆這些百姓?」 他們回稟說:「王若善待這些百姓,使他們喜悅,對他們好言相待,他們會永遠做王的僕人。」

羅波安卻沒有採納老臣的意見。他又去徵詢那些和他一起長大的青年臣僚的意見, 說:「百姓求我減輕我父親加給他們的重擔。你們認為我該怎樣回覆他們?」 10 他們說:「百姓說你父親使他們負擔沉重,請求你減輕他們的負擔。你可以這樣回覆他們,『我的小指頭比我父親的腰還粗。 11 我父親使你們負重擔,我要使你們負更重的擔子;我父親用鞭子打你們,我要用刺鞭打你們。』」

12 過了三天,耶羅波安和百姓遵照羅波安王的話來見他。 13-14 羅波安王沒有採納老臣的建議,而是照青年臣僚的建議,疾言厲色地對他們說:「我父親使你們負重擔,我要使你們負更重的擔子!我父親用鞭子打你們,我要用刺鞭打你們!」 15 王不聽百姓的請求。這事出於耶和華上帝,為要應驗祂藉示羅人亞希雅先知對尼八的兒子耶羅波安說的話。

16 以色列人見王不聽他們的請求,就說:

「我們與大衛有何相干?
我們與耶西的兒子沒有關係!
以色列人啊,各自回家吧!
大衛家啊,自己照顧自己吧!」

於是,以色列人都各自回家了。 17 但住在猶大城邑的以色列人仍受羅波安統治。 18 羅波安王派勞役總管哈多蘭去以色列人那裡,以色列人卻用石頭打死了他,羅波安王連忙上車逃回耶路撒冷。 19 從此,以色列人反叛大衛家,直到今天。

II. The Post-Solomonic Monarchy of Judah

Chapter 10

Division of the Kingdom. (A)Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel[a] had come to make him king. When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it, he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon; and he returned from Egypt. They sent for him; Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam: “Your father put on us a heavy yoke. If you now lighten the harsh servitude and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, we will be your servants.” He answered them, “Come back to me in three days,” and the people went away.

King Rehoboam asked advice of the elders who had been in his father Solomon’s service while he was still alive, and asked, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” They replied, “If you will deal kindly with this people and please them, giving them a favorable reply, they will be your servants forever.” But he ignored the advice the elders had given him and asked advice of the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service. He said to them, “What answer do you advise us to give this people, who have told me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father imposed on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied: “This is what you must say to this people who have told you, ‘Your father laid a heavy yoke on us; lighten it for us.’ You must say, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. 11 My father put a heavy yoke on you; I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips; I will use scorpions!’”

12 On the third day, Jeroboam and the whole people came back to King Rehoboam as the king had instructed them: “Come back to me in three days.” 13 Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, King Rehoboam gave the people a harsh answer. 14 He spoke to them as the young men had advised: “My father laid a heavy yoke on you; I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips; I will use scorpions.” 15 The king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God: the Lord fulfilled the word he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.(B)

16 (C)When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king:

“What share have we in David?
    We have no heritage in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, Israel!
    Now look to your own house, David!”

So all Israel went off to their tents, 17 but the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah had Rehoboam as their king. 18 King Rehoboam then sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 And so Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 10:1 All Israel: as in the source (1 Kgs 12:1), this term designates the northern tribes, as distinct from Judah and Benjamin. Elsewhere the Chronicler, writing on his own, speaks comprehensively of “those Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah” (10:17), and “all the Israelites [lit., all Israel] in Judah and Benjamin” (11:3).