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。
Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem 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。
When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt;
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 they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
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。」
“Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
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。
He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” So the people 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﹖」
King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer these 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。」
They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”
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 abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
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﹖」
He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”
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!
The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
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! 」
Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I 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。
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again 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，
The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given 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 spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but 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
So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
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，
When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their 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。
But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
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。
Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labour; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 這樣，以色列便與達味家分離了，直到現在。
So Israel rebelled against David’s house to 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。
When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah 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；
When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 但是，天主有話傳於天主的人舍瑪雅說﹕「
But the word of God came to Shemaiah 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 Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest 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
‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to the LORD’s word, and returned and went their way, according to the LORD’s word.
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。
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel.
26 雅洛貝罕心中思量﹕「這王國遲早要歸於達味王室；
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.
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 goes up to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
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! 」
So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
29 他將一隻供在貝特耳，一隻供在丹。
He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put 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。
This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
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；
He made houses of high places, and made priests from amongst all 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。
Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
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。
He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.
