1 Kings 12

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.

1 罗波安前往示剑，因为以色列人都去了那里，要立他为王。

2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

2 尼八的儿子耶罗波安曾为了躲避所罗门王而逃往埃及，并一直住在那里。他听到消息便从埃及返回以色列。

3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

3 以色列人派人去请他，他就和以色列会众去见罗波安，说：

4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

4 “你父亲使我们负担沉重，求你减轻我们的劳役和负担吧，我们一定服侍你。”

5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people departed.

5 罗波安对他们说：“你们先回去，三天之后再来见我。”众人就离开了。

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.

6 罗波安王去征询曾服侍他父亲所罗门的老臣的意见，说：“你们认为我该怎样回复这些民众？”

7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

7 他们回禀说：“现今王若像仆人一样服侍民众，对他们好言相待，他们会永远做王的仆人。”

8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

8 罗波安却没有采纳老臣的意见。他又去征询那些和他一起长大的青年臣僚的意见，

9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

9 说：“民众求我减轻我父亲加给他们的重担。你们认为我该怎样回复他们？”

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

10 他们说：“民众说你父亲使他们负担沉重，请求你减轻他们的负担。你可以这样回复他们，‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗。

11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

11 我父亲使你们负重担，我要使你们负更重的担子；我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用刺鞭打你们。’”

12 After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”

12 过了三天，耶罗波安和民众遵照罗波安王的话来见他。

13 And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders

13–14 王没有采纳老臣的建议，而是照青年臣僚的建议，疾言厉色地对他们说：“我父亲使你们负重担，我要使你们负更重的担子！我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用刺鞭打你们！”

14 and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”

15 So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

15 王不听民众的请求。这事出于耶和华，为要应验祂借示罗人亚希雅先知对尼八的儿子耶罗波安说的话。

16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,

16 以色列人见王不听他们的请求，就说： “我们与大卫有何相干？ 我们与耶西的儿子没有关系！ 以色列人啊，各自回家吧！ 大卫家啊，自己顾自己吧！” 于是，以色列人各自回家了。

17 but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

17 但住在犹大城邑的以色列人仍受罗波安统治。

18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

18 罗波安王派劳役总管亚多兰去以色列人那里，以色列人却用石头打死了他，罗波安王连忙上车逃回耶路撒冷。

19 So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.

19 从此，以色列人反叛大卫家，直到今天。

20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

20 以色列人听说耶罗波安回来了，就请他到会众面前，拥立他做以色列人的王。只有犹大支派仍然效忠大卫家。

21 And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

21 罗波安回到耶路撒冷，从犹大和便雅悯支派召集了十八万精兵，要攻打以色列人，收复全国。

22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

22 然而，上帝对祂的仆人示玛雅说：

23 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people

23 “你去告诉所罗门的儿子犹大王罗波安和犹大、便雅悯支派的人以及其他民众，

24 that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this is My doing.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD.

24 耶和华这样说，‘你们不要上去与以色列弟兄交战，都回家吧！今日的景况是出于我的旨意。’”众人听从了耶和华的话，各自回家去了。

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.

25 耶罗波安在以法莲山区修建示剑城，住在那里。他后来又去修建毗努伊勒。

26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.

26 他心想：“国权恐怕会重归大卫家。

27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

27 若百姓去耶路撒冷，在耶和华的殿献祭，他们的心必重新归向他们的主犹大王罗波安。他们会杀了我，然后投奔犹大王罗波安。”

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

28 他征询臣僚的意见后，就铸造了两个金牛犊，对民众说：“以色列人啊，你们上耶路撒冷敬拜太麻烦了。这两个金牛犊就是带你们出埃及的神明。”

29 One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

29 他把一个金牛犊安置在伯特利，另一个安置在但。

30 And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

30 这使民众陷入罪中，因为他们开始到但去拜金牛犊。

31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.

31 耶罗波安又在高岗上修建神庙，任命各种人做祭司，他们并非利未人。

32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.

32 耶罗波安规定每年八月十五日为节期，好像犹大的节期一样。他自己在伯特利的祭坛上向金牛犊献祭，又在伯特利为他修建的神庙设立祭司。

33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. So he ordained a feast for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.

33 在八月十五日，就是他私自为以色列人定为节期的日子，他在伯特利自己修建的祭坛上烧香。