< 列王紀上 12 >
1 [分裂近因]勒哈貝罕去了舍根,因為全以色列集合在舍根,要立他為王。
And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king.
2 乃巴特的兒子雅洛貝罕,為躲避撒羅滿王,曾逃往埃及,現在聽說撒羅滿已死,便從挨家埃及回來了。
3 有人派人請了他回來,他便和以色列全會眾前來,對勒哈貝罕說:「
And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy;
4 你的父親使我們的負擔繁重,現在,你得減輕你父親加給我們的苦役和重軛,我們纔肯服事你。」
but do thou now lighten somewhat of the hard service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 他回答他們說:「你們暫時回去,三天以後再來見我。」人民就都走了。
And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.
6 勒哈貝罕便同那些在他父親撒羅滿生時,作臣僕的老年人商議說:「依你們的意見,我該怎樣答覆這些民眾﹖」
And the king referred [the matter] to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do ye advise that I should answer this people?
7 他們回答說:「如果你今天願意作這民眾的僕人,服事他們,答應他們,對他們說好話,他們必會常常服事你。」
And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt this day be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them, and wilt speak to them good words, then will they be thy servants continually.
8 但是,君王竟拒絕了老年人給他出的主意,反去同那些與他一起長大,侍立在他面前的少年商議,
But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence.
9 問他們說:「這些人民對我說:請你將你父親加於我們的重軛減輕些。依你們的意見我該怎樣答覆他們﹖」
And he said to them, What counsel do ye give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which thy father has put upon us?
10 這些與他一起長大的少年人答說:「這些人民對你說:你父親使我們負擔繁重,請你給我們減輕些! 你要回答他們,對他們這樣說:我的小指比我父親的腰還粗!
And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people who have spoken to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and do thou now lighten it from off us: thus shalt say to them, My little [finger shall be] thicker than my father's loins.
11 我父親曾加重了你們的重擔,我更要加重你們的重擔;我父親用皮鞭責打你們,我卻要用鐵刺鞭責打你們! 」
And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 雅洛貝罕和全體人民照君王所說:「你們第三天再來見我」的話,第三天就來見勒哈貝罕。
And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day.
13 君王嚴厲答覆了人民,拋棄了老年人給他出的主意,
And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him.
14 卻依照少年人的主張,對民眾說:「我的父親加重了你們的重擔,我更要加重,我父親用皮鞭責打你們,我反要用鐵刺鞭責打你們。」
And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 君王始終不肯聽從民眾。這一轉變原是出於上主,為實現他自己的話,就是上主藉史羅人阿希雅對乃巴特的兒子雅洛貝罕所說的話。政治分裂
And the king hearkened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
16 全以色列人見君王不肯依他們,便回覆君王說﹕「我們與達味有什麼分子﹖我們與葉瑟的兒子毫無關係! 以色列! 回到你的帳幕去啊! 達味啊! 現在你只顧你的本家罷! 」以色列人於是都回了自己的帳幕,
And all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to thy tents: now feed thine own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.
17 只有那些住在猶大城市的以色列子民,仍屬勒哈貝罕統治。
18 勒哈貝罕王派遣監管勞役的阿多蘭,去見以色列,以色列人卻用石頭將它砸死,勒哈貝罕急忙上車,逃回了耶路撒冷。
And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.
20 那時,全以色列人聽說雅洛貝罕已經回來,便派人邀請它前來赴會,立他為王,統治全以色列;從此跟隨達味家的,只有猷大支派。
And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.
21 勒哈貝罕一回到耶路撒冷,即刻召集猶大全家和本雅明支派所有十八萬善戰的精兵,要去攻打以色列家,想把王國奪回,再歸屬撒羅滿的兒子勒哈貝罕;
And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon.
And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying,
23 你去告訴撒羅滿的兒子,猶大王勒哈貝罕,猶大全家和本雅明以及其餘的人民說﹕
Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
24 上主這樣說﹕你們不要前去,攻打你們的兄弟以色列人,你們各自回家去罷! 因為這事原出於我。」他們便聽從了上主的話,依照上主的話回去了。宗教分裂
Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.
25 雅洛貝罕在厄弗辣因山地修築了舍根,住在那裏;又從那裏出來,修築了培奴耳。
And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and dwelt in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel.
26 雅洛貝罕心中思量﹕「這王國遲早要歸於達味王室;
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
27 如果這人民上耶路撒冷,在上主殿內獻祭,他們的心難免不歸向他們的主上猶大勒哈貝罕,把我打死,再歸屬於猶大王勒哈貝罕。」
If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to the Lord, and to their master, to Roboam king of Juda, and they will slay me.
28 因此,雅洛貝罕王拿定了主意,製造了兩隻金牛犢,對人民說﹕,「你們不需要再上耶路撒冷去了;以色列! 看,這就是領你們由埃及地上來的天主! 」
And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you to have gone [hitherto] to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And he put one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan.
30 這使以色列陷於罪惡,因為民眾竟遠至丹去敬拜另一隻。
And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord.
31 雅貝洛罕又在高丘建立了神殿,將不屬於肋末子孫的平民立為司祭;
And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 規定八月十五日舉行慶節,像在猶大所舉行的慶節一樣,親自上壇獻祭。他也如此在貝特耳向他所製造的牛犢獻了祭,並在貝特耳為他建造的高丘神壇,委派了司祭。
And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Juda;
33 在他隨意選定的八月十五日,他親自上了他在貝特耳所築的祭壇,為以色列子民舉行慶節,上壇焚香獻祭。
and went up to the altar which he made in Baethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Baethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.