1 Kings 12
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem because that is where the whole of Israel had gone to make him king.
Rehoboamu akaenda Shekemu, kwa kuwa Israeli yote walikuwa wameenda Shekemu kumfanya awe mfalme.
2 Jeroboam, son of Nebat, was still in Egypt when he heard about this. (He had run away to Egypt to escape from King Solomon and was living there.)
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 The Israelite leaders sent for him. Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israelites went to talk with Rehoboam.
Kwa hiyo wakatuma watu kumwita, na Yeroboamu pamoja na mkutano wote wa Israeli wakaja wakamwambia Rehoboamu,
4 “Your father placed a heavy burden on us,” they told him. “But now if you lighten the load when we served your father and the heavy demands he put on us, we will serve you.”
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 Rehoboam answered, “Go away and come back in three days time.” So the people left.
Naye Rehobiamu akawaambia, “Ondokeni kwa siku tatu, kisha nirudieni.” Kwa hiyo watu wakaondoka.
6 King Rehoboam asked for advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive. “How do you advise me to reply to these people about this?” he asked.
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 replied, “If you are a servant to these people today, if you serve them and answer them, by speaking kindly to them, they will always serve you.”
Nao wakamwambia, “Kama wewe utakuwa mtumishi wa hawa watu na akawatumikia, na akawapa majibu ya maneno mema, ndipo watakapokuwa watumishi wako daima.”
8 But Rehoboam dismissed the advice of the elders. He instead asked advice from the young men who he had grown up with, and who were close to him.
Lakini Rehoboamu akapuuzia ushauri aliopewa na wazee na akaenda kuomba ushauri kwa vijana ambao alikua pamoja nao wakasimama mbele yake.
9 He asked them, “What response do you advise that we send back to these people who have told me, ‘Lighten the burden your father put on us’?”
Akawaambia, “Mnanipa ushauri gani ili niweze kuwajibu hawa watu waliosema nami kwamba, 'ifanye nyepesi nira ambayo baba yako alituwekea'”
10 The young men who he had grown up with told him, “This is what you have to tell these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our burden heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should answer them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!
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 My father placed a heavy burden on you, and I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips; I will punish 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 Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, because the king had told them, “Come back in three days time.”
Kwa hiyo siku ya tatu Yeroboamu na watu wote wakaja kwa Rehoboamu, kama mfalme alivyokuwa amewaelekeza aliposema, “mrudi kwangu siku ya tatu.”
13 The king answered the people sharply. Dismissing the advice of the elders,
Naye mfalme akawaambia wale watu kwa ukali na akapuuzia ushauri wa wale wazee ule waliokuwa wamempatia.
14 he replied using the advice of the young men. He said, “My father placed a heavy burden on you, and I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips; I will punish 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 The king did not listen to what the people said, for this change in circumstances was from the Lord, to fulfill what the Lord had told Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
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 When all the Israelites saw that the king wasn't listening to them, they told the king: “What share do we have in David, and what part do we have in the son of Jesse? Go home, Israel! You're on your own, house of David!” So all the Israelites went home.
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 However, Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in Judah.
Lakini kwa watu wa Israeli waliokuwa wakiishi kwenye miji ya Yuda, Rehoboamu akawa mfalme juu yao.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam quickly jumped into his chariot and raced back 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 As a result, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Kwa hiyo Israeli wakawa wapinzani dhidi ya nyumba ya Daudi mpaka leo.
20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him, summoning him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah was left to the house of David.
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 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he gathered the men from the households of Judah and Benjamin— 180,000 chosen warriors—to go and fight against Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, 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 a message from the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God that said,
Lakini neno la Mungu likamjia Shemaya, mtu wa Mungu; likisema,
23 “Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, to Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people:
“Mwambie Rehoboamu mwana wa Sulemani, mfalme wa Yuda, na kwa nuymba yote ya Yuda na Benjamini, na kwa watu wote; uwaambie,
24 ‘This is what the Lord says. Don't fight against your Israelite relatives. Every one of you, go home! For it was me that made this happen.’” So they obeyed what the Lord told them and went home, as the Lord had said.
“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 Jeroboam strengthened the town of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went and built Penuel.
Kisha Yeroboamu akaijenga Shekemu katika nchi ya milima ya Efraimu, na akaishi huko. Akatoka huko na kuijenga Penueli.
26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom could easily return to the house of David.
Yeroboamu akafikiri moyoni mwake, “Sasa ufalme utarudi kwenye nyumba ya Daudi.
27 When people from here go to offer sacrifices at the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, they will transfer their loyalty back to Rehoboam, king of Judah. Then they will kill me and go back to King Rehoboam.”
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 So after taking advice, the king had two golden calves made, and he told the people, “Don't bother going to Jerusalem any more. Look, Israel, here are your gods who led you 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 He placed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
Akamweka mmoja Betheli na mwingine Dani.
30 This action brought about sin, because the people went as far north as Dan to worship the idol there.
Kwa hiyo jambo hili likawa dhambi. Watu wakaenda kwa huyo na wengine kwa hawa, mpaka huko Dani.
31 In addition Jeroboam had shrines built on high places and appointed as priests all kinds of people who were not Levites.
Yeroboamu akajenga nyumba mahali pa juu na kufanya makuhani kutoka kwa watu wote, ambao hawakuwa wana wa Lawi.
32 Jeroboam initiated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the festival held in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. He made this offering in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made, and appointed priests in Bethel for the high places he had built.
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 So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month he had chosen himself, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. In this way he instituted a festival for the Israelites, offering sacrifices on the altar and burning 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.
