< 1 Kings 12 >
1 And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.
Rehoboamu akaenda Shekemu, kwa kuwa Israeli yote walikuwa wameenda Shekemu kumfanya awe mfalme.
2 But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.
Ikatokea kuwa Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati akayasikia haya (Kwa kuwa alikuwa bado yuko Misri, ambako alikuwa amekimbilia kumkwepa mfalme Sulemani), Kwani Yeroboamu alikuwa anaishi Misri.
3 And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:
Kwa hiyo wakatuma watu kumwita, na Yeroboamu pamoja na mkutano wote wa Israeli wakaja wakamwambia Rehoboamu,
4 Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now therefore do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
Baba yako aliifanya nira yetu kuwa nzito. Sasa ifanye kazi ngumu ya baba yako kuwa nyepesi kuliko nira ngumu ambayo baba yako alituwekea, nasi tutakutumikia.”
5 And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,
Naye Rehobiamu akawaambia, “Ondokeni kwa siku tatu, kisha nirudieni.” Kwa hiyo watu wakaondoka.
6 King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people?
Mfalme Rehoboamu akatafuta ushauri kwa wazee waliokuwa wamesimama mbele ya Sulemani baba yake wakati wa uhai wake, naye akasema, “mnanishauri niwajibuje hawa watu?”
7 They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people today, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.
Nao wakamwambia, “Kama wewe utakuwa mtumishi wa hawa watu na akawatumikia, na akawapa majibu ya maneno mema, ndipo watakapokuwa watumishi wako daima.”
8 But he left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and stood before him.
Lakini Rehoboamu akapuuzia ushauri aliopewa na wazee na akaenda kuomba ushauri kwa vijana ambao alikua pamoja nao wakasimama mbele yake.
9 And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter?
Akawaambia, “Mnanipa ushauri gani ili niweze kuwajibu hawa watu waliosema nami kwamba, 'ifanye nyepesi nira ambayo baba yako alituwekea'”
10 And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
Wale vijana waliokua pamoja na Rehoboamu wakamjibu, wakisema, “Waambie hawa watu kuwa baba yako Sulemani aliifanya nira yenu kuwa nzito lakini ninyi wenyewe mnaweza kuifanya rahisi. Uwaambie hivi, 'Kidole changu kidogo ni kinene kuliko kiuno cha baba yangu.
11 And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
Kwa hiyo sasa, ingawa baba yangu aliwatwika kongwa zito, Mimi nitaiongeza kongwa lenu. Baba yangu aliwaadhibu kwa mijeredi, Lakini mimi nitawaadhibu kwa nge.'”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again the third day.
Kwa hiyo siku ya tatu Yeroboamu na watu wote wakaja kwa Rehoboamu, kama mfalme alivyokuwa amewaelekeza aliposema, “mrudi kwangu siku ya tatu.”
13 And the king answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,
Naye mfalme akawaambia wale watu kwa ukali na akapuuzia ushauri wa wale wazee ule waliokuwa wamempatia.
14 And he 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 beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
Akawaambia akifuata ushauri wa wale vijana; akasema, “Baba yangu aliwatwika kongwa zito, lakini mimi nitaongeze kongwa lenu. Baba yangu aliwaadhibu kwa mijeredi, mimi nitawaadhibu kwa nge.”
15 And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
Kwa hiyo mfalme hakuwasikiliza wale watu, kwa kuwa ilikuwa zamu ya tukio lililoletwa na BWANA, ili kwamba aweze kulitimiza neno lake ambalo alikuwa amelisema kupitia Ahiya.
16 Then the people seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai? Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now David look to thy own house. So Israel departed to their dwellings.
Israeli yote ilipoona kuwa mfalme hakuwasikiliza, watu wakamjibu wakimwambia, “Je, tuna sehemu gani kwa Daudi? Hatuna urithi kwa mwana wa Yese! Nenda kwenye hema zako, ewe Israeli. Sasa tazama kwenye nyumba yako, Daudi.” Kwa hiyo Israeli akarudi kwenye hema zake.
17 But as for all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam reigned over them.
Lakini kwa watu wa Israeli waliokuwa wakiishi kwenye miji ya Yuda, Rehoboamu akawa mfalme juu yao.
18 Then king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died. Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem:
Kisha mfalme Rehoboamu akamtuma Adoramu, aliyekuwa juu ya shokoa, lakini Waisraeli wote wakampiga kwa mawe wakamwua kwa mawe. Mflme Rehoboamu akakimbia haraka kwa gari lake kwenda Yerusalemu.
19 And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.
Kwa hiyo Israeli wakawa wapinzani dhidi ya nyumba ya Daudi mpaka leo.
20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda only.
Ndipo Israeli yote waliposikia kuwa Yeroboamu alikuwa amerudi, walimwita kwenye kusanyiko lao wakamweka kuwa mfalme wa Israeli. Hapakuwepo na mtu aliyeifuata familia ya Daudi, isipokuwa tu kabila la Yuda.
21 And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred four-score thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam the son of Solomon.
Rehoboamu alipofika Yerusalemu, akawakusanya wote wa nyumba ya Yuda na kabila la Benjamini; walichaguliwa wanaume wanajeshi 180, 000 ili wapigane na nyumba ya Israeli, kwa lengo la kurudisha ufalme kwa Rehoboamu mwana wa Sulemani.
22 But the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:
Lakini neno la Mungu likamjia Shemaya, mtu wa Mungu; likisema,
23 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying:
“Mwambie Rehoboamu mwana wa Sulemani, mfalme wa Yuda, na kwa nuymba yote ya Yuda na Benjamini, na kwa watu wote; uwaambie,
24 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.
“BWANA asema hivi, Usipigane wala kuwavamia ndugu zako watu wa Israeli. Kila mtu lazima arudi nyumbani kwake, kwa kuwa jambo hili nimelisababisha mimi.” Kwa hiyo wakalisikiliza neno la BWANA na wakrudi nyumbani kwa njia zao na wakalitii neno lake.
25 And Jeroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence he built Phanuel.
Kisha Yeroboamu akaijenga Shekemu katika nchi ya milima ya Efraimu, na akaishi huko. Akatoka huko na kuijenga Penueli.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David,
Yeroboamu akafikiri moyoni mwake, “Sasa ufalme utarudi kwenye nyumba ya Daudi.
27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.
Kama hawa watu wataenda kutoa sadaka kwenye hekalu la BWANA kule Yerusalemu, basi mioyo ya hawa watu itarudi tena kwa bwana wao, kwa Rehoboamu mfalme wa Yuda. Wataniua na kurudi kwa Rehoboamu mfalme wa Yuda.”
28 And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
Kwa hiyo mfalme Yeroboamu akatafuta ushauri na akafanya ndama wawili wa dhahabu; akawaambia watu, “Ni vigumu sana kwenu kwenda Yerusalemu. Tazameni, hawa ndiyo miungu yenu, Ee Israeli, iliyowatoa toka nchi ya Misri.”
29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:
Akamweka mmoja Betheli na mwingine Dani.
30 And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf as far as Dan.
Kwa hiyo jambo hili likawa dhambi. Watu wakaenda kwa huyo na wengine kwa hawa, mpaka huko Dani.
31 And he made temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
Yeroboamu akajenga nyumba mahali pa juu na kufanya makuhani kutoka kwa watu wote, ambao hawakuwa wana wa Lawi.
32 And he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda. And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made.
Yeroboamu akafanya sikukuu katika mwezi wa nane, katika siku ya kumi na tano ya mwezi, kama sikukuu ambayo iko Yuda, na akaenda juu kwenye madhabahu. Akafanya hivyo kule Betheli, akawatolea sadaka wale ndama aliokuwa amewatengeneza, na akaweka kuhani huko Betheli mahali pa juu alipokuwa amepatengeneza.
33 And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went upon the altar to burn incense.
Yeroboamu akapanda kwenda kwenye madhabahu ambayo aliitengeneza kule Betheli katika siku ya kumi na tano ya mwezi wa nane, ndio mwezi aliokuwa amefikiri katika akili yake; akafanya sikukuu kwa watu wa Israeli n a akaenda madhabahuni kufukiza uvumba.