< 列王紀上 12 >

1 羅波安往示劍去;因為以色列人都到了示劍要立他作王。
And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king.
2 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王,逃往埃及,住在那裏(他聽見這事。)
3 以色列人打發人去請他來,他就和以色列會眾都來見羅波安,對他說:
And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy;
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,我們就事奉你。」
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 羅波安對他們說:「你們暫且去,第三日再來見我。」民就去了。
And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.
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:「你們給我出個甚麼主意,我好回覆這民。」
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 老年人對他說:「現在王若服事這民如僕人,用好話回答他們,他們就永遠作王的僕人。」
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 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,
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 說:「這民對我說:『你父親使我們負重軛,求你使我們輕鬆些。』你們給我出個甚麼主意,我好回覆他們。」
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 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:『我的小拇指頭比我父親的腰還粗。
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!』」
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 耶羅波安和眾百姓遵着羅波安王所說「你們第三日再來見我」的那話,第三日他們果然來了。
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 王用嚴厲的話回答百姓,不用老年人給他所出的主意,
And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him.
14 照着少年人所出的主意對民說:「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!」
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 王不肯依從百姓,這事乃出於耶和華,為要應驗他藉示羅人亞希雅對尼八的兒子耶羅波安所說的話。
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 以色列眾民見王不依從他們,就對王說: 我們與大衛有甚麼分兒呢? 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,以色列人都回自己家裏去了,
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 惟獨住猶大城邑的以色列人,羅波安仍作他們的王。
18 羅波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的亞多蘭往以色列人那裏去,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。
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.
19 這樣,以色列人背叛大衛家,直到今日。
So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.
20 以色列眾人聽見耶羅波安回來了,就打發人去請他到會眾面前,立他作以色列眾人的王。除了猶大支派以外,沒有順從大衛家的。
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 羅波安來到耶路撒冷,招聚猶大全家和便雅憫支派的人共十八萬,都是挑選的戰士,要與以色列家爭戰,好將國奪回,再歸所羅門的兒子羅波安。
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.
22 但上帝的話臨到神人示瑪雅,說:
And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying,
23 「你去告訴所羅門的兒子猶大王羅波安和猶大、便雅憫全家,並其餘的民說:
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 『耶和華如此說:你們不可上去與你們的弟兄以色列人爭戰。各歸各家去吧!因為這事出於我。』」眾人就聽從耶和華的話,遵着耶和華的命回去了。
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 耶羅波安在以法蓮山地建築示劍,就住在其中;又從示劍出去,建築毗努伊勒。
And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and dwelt in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel.
26 耶羅波安心裏說:「恐怕這國仍歸大衛家;
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
27 這民若上耶路撒冷去,在耶和華的殿裏獻祭,他們的心必歸向他們的主-猶大王羅波安,就把我殺了,仍歸猶大王羅波安。」
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 耶羅波安王就籌劃定妥,鑄造了兩個金牛犢,對眾民說:「以色列人哪,你們上耶路撒冷去實在是難;這就是領你們出埃及地的神。」
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.
29 他就把牛犢一隻安在伯特利,一隻安在但。
And he put one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan.
30 這事叫百姓陷在罪裏,因為他們往但去拜那牛犢。
And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord.
31 耶羅波安在邱壇那裏建殿,將那不屬利未人的凡民立為祭司。
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 耶羅波安定八月十五日為節期,像在猶大的節期一樣,自己上壇獻祭。他在伯特利也這樣向他所鑄的牛犢獻祭,又將立為邱壇的祭司安置在伯特利。
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 他在八月十五日,就是他私自所定的月日,為以色列人立作節期的日子,在伯特利上壇燒香。
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.

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