Fiawo 1 12

1 Rehoboam yi Sekem elabena Israelviwo katã yi afi ma be woaɖoe fiae.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come together to make him king,

2 Esi Yeroboam, Nebat ƒe viŋutsu se nya sia la, etrɔ gbɔ tso Egipte, afi si wòsi le Fia Solomo nu yi ɖabe ɖo.

And, hearing of it, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was still in Egypt, where he had gone in flight from Solomon, and was living there, came back to his town Zeredah, in the hill-country of Ephraim;

3 Ale woɖo du ɖe Yeroboam eye eya kple Israel blibo la yi Rehoboam gbɔ ɖagblɔ nɛ be,

And all the men of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

4 “Fofowò da kɔkuti kpekpe aɖe ɖe mía dzi. Ke azɔ la, wò la, ɖe dɔ sesẽ wɔwɔ kple kɔkuti kpekpe si wòda ɖe mía dzi la dzi na mí ekema míasubɔ wò.”

Your father put a hard yoke on us: if you will make the conditions under which your father kept us down less cruel, and the weight of the yoke he put on us less hard, then we will be your servants.

5 Rehoboam ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Miyi ne miatrɔ gbɔ le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe.” Ale ameawo trɔ dzo.

And he said to them, Go away for three days and then come back to me again. So the people went away.

6 Tete Fia Rehoboam de aɖaŋu kple ametsitsi siwo nɔ fofoa Solomo ŋu le eƒe agbemeŋkekewo me. Ebia wo be, “Ŋuɖoɖo kae miesusu be mana ame siawo?”

Then King Rehoboam took the opinion of the old men who had been with Solomon his father when he was living, and said, In your opinion, what answer am I to give to this people?

7 Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Ne egbe ànye dɔla na ame siawo, asubɔ wo eye nàna ŋuɖoɖo nyui aɖewo la, woanye wò dɔlawo tegbee.”

And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today, caring for them and giving them a gentle answer, then they will be your servants for ever.

8 Ke Rehoboam gbe mexɔ aɖaŋu si dumemetsitsiawo ɖo nɛ la o ke boŋ eyi ɖade aɖaŋu kple ehati siwo nɔ esubɔm

But he gave no attention to the opinion of the old men, and went to the young men of his generation who were waiting before him:

9 Ebia wo be, “Nu ka miesusu? Aleke míagblɔ na ame siawo esi wova biam be, ‘Ɖe kɔkuti si fofowò tsɔ da ɖe mía dzi la dzi kpɔtɔ na mí’ mahã?”

And said to them, What is your opinion? What answer are we to give to this people who have said to me, Make less the weight of the yoke which your father put on us?

10 Ɖekakpuiawo, ame siwo nye ehatiwo la gblɔ nɛ be, “Gblɔ na ame siawo, esi wogblɔ na wò be, ‘Fofowò da kɔkuti kpekpe aɖe ɖe mía dzi eya ta wɔ wò kɔkuti la wodzoe’ la be, ‘Nye asibidɛ kɔtoetɔ lolo wu fofonye ƒe alime.

And the young men of his generation said to him, This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying, Your father put a hard yoke on us; will you make it less? say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's body;

11 Fofonye tsɔ kɔkuti kpekpe ɖo mia dzi. Nye ya mawɔe wòagakpe ɖe edzi. Fofonye ƒo mi kple ameƒoti, ke nye ya maƒo mi kple ahɔ̃.’”

If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder: my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.

12 Le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe la, Yeroboam kple ameawo katã trɔ va Rehoboam gbɔ abe ale si fia la gblɔ ene be, “Mitrɔ gbɔ va gbɔnye le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe la ene.”

So all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had given orders, saying, Come back to me the third day.

13 Fia la ɖo nya la ŋu na wo kple adã eye mewɔ ɖe ametsitsiawo ƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo dzi o.

And the king gave them a rough answer, giving no attention to the suggestion of the old men;

14 Ewɔ ɖe ɖekakpuiawo ƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo boŋ dzi eye wògblɔ be, “Fofonye na miaƒe kɔkuti kpe; nye ya mana kɔkuti la nagakpe wu. Fofonye ƒo mi kple ameƒoti; nye ya maƒo mi kple ahɔ̃.”

But giving them the answer put forward by the young men, saying, My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder; my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes.

15 Ale fia la meɖo to ameawo o elabena nuwo ƒe yiyi me alea tso Yehowa gbɔ be woawu nya si Yehowa gblɔ ɖi ɖe Yeroboam, Nebat ƒe vi ŋuti to Silonitɔ, Ahiya dzi la nu.

So the king did not give ear to the people; and this came about by the purpose of the Lord, so that what he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, might be effected.

16 Esi Israel katã kpɔ be fia la gbe toɖoɖo yewo la, woɖo eŋu na fia la be, “Gomekpɔkpɔ kae le mía si le David me eye domenyinu kae míaxɔ tso Yese vi la gbɔ? Oo Israel, miyi miaƒe agbadɔwo me! Oo David, kpɔ wò ŋutɔ wò aƒe gbɔ!” Ale Israelviwo dzo yi aƒe me.

And when all Israel saw that the king would give no attention to them, the people in answer said to the king, What part have we in David? what is our heritage in the son of Jesse? to your tents, O Israel; now see to your people, David. So Israel went away to their tents.

17 Ke hena Israelvi siwo nɔ Yuda ƒe duwo me la, Rehoboam gaɖu fia ɖe wo dzi ko.

(But Rehoboam was still king over those of the children of Israel who were living in the towns of Judah.)

18 Fia Rehoboam dɔ Adoram, ame si kpɔa dzizizidɔwo ƒe nyawo gbɔ la ɖe Israel gake Israel katã ƒu kpee wòku. Ke hã la, Fia Rehoboam dze agbagba ge ɖe eƒe tasiaɖam me eye wòsi yi Yerusalem.

Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the overseer of the forced work; and he was stoned to death by all Israel. And King Rehoboam went quickly and got into his carriage to go in flight to Jerusalem.

19 Ale Israel dze aglã ɖe David ƒe aƒe la ŋu va se ɖe egbe.

So Israel was turned away from the family of David to this day.

20 Esi Israel ƒe to bubu me tɔwo se be Yeroboam gbɔ tso Egipte la, woyɔe be wòava do go ameawo katã. Woɖoe fiae ɖe Israel dzi le afi ma. Yuda kple Benyamin ƒe towo koe nɔ fia siwo nye David ƒe dzidzimeviwo la te.

Now when all Israel had news that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him to come before the meeting of the people, and made him king over Israel: not one of them was joined to the family of David but only the tribe of Judah.

21 Esi Rehoboam va ɖo Yerusalem la, eƒo aʋawɔla akpe alafa ɖeka blaenyi nu ƒu hewɔ aʋakɔ tɔxɛ aɖe be wòazi Israel ƒe to bubuawo dzi be woaxɔ ye abe woƒe fia ene.

When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he got together all the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

22 Ke Mawu gblɔ nya siawo na Nyagblɔɖila Semaya be,

But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,

23 “Gblɔ na Rehoboam, Yuda fia Solomo ƒe vi kple Yuda kple Benyamin kple ame bubuawo katã be,

Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the men of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people:

24 ‘Nu si Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Migawɔ aʋa kple mia nɔviwo, Israelviwo o. Ame sia ame nayi eƒe aƒe me elabena nyee wɔ esia.’” Ale woɖo to Yehowa ƒe gbe eye wotrɔ yi woƒe aƒewo me abe ale si Yehowa ɖo na wo ene.

The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers, the children of Israel; go back, every man to his house, because this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the word of the Lord, and went back, as the Lord had said.

25 Azɔ la, Yeroboam tu Sekem du la ɖe Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi eye wòna wòzu eƒe fiadu. Etu Penuel du la emegbe.

Then Jeroboam made the town of Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim a strong place, and was living there; and from there he went out and did the same to Penuel.

26 Yeroboam bu be, “Ne nyemekpɔ nyuie o la, ameawo adi David ƒe dzidzimeviwo dometɔ aɖe abe woƒe fia ene.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will go back to the family of David:

27 Ne woyi Yerusalem be woasa vɔ le gbedoxɔ la me la, woadze xɔ̃ fia Rehoboam, ekema woawum eye woana wòazu woƒe fia ɖe tenyeƒe.”

If the people go up to make offerings in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, their heart will be turned again to their lord, to Rehoboam, king of Judah; and they will put me to death and go back to Rehoboam, king of Judah.

28 Ale Yeroboam wɔ eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo ƒe gbe dzi, wowɔ sikanyivi eve eye wògblɔ na eƒe amewo be, “Enye fukpekpe na mi akpa be miayi Yerusalem aɖasubɔ Mawu. Israel, kpɔ ɖa, sikanyivi siawoe anye miaƒe mawuwo; woawoe ɖe mi tso kluvinyenye me le Egipte!”

So after taking thought the king made two oxen of gold; and he said to the people, You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough; see! these are your gods, O Israel, who took you out of the land of Egypt.

29 Wotsɔ sikanyiviawo dometɔ ɖeka da ɖe Betel eye woda evelia ɖe Dan.

And he put one in Beth-el and the other in Dan.

30 Esia nye nu vɔ̃ vɔ̃ɖi aɖe elabena ameawo subɔ wo.

And this became a sin in Israel; for the people went to give worship to the one at Beth-el, and to the other at Dan.

31 Etu trɔ̃xɔwo hã ɖe toawo dzi eye wòtsɔ ame siwo metso Levi ƒe ƒomea me gɔ̃ hã o la ɖo nunɔlawo.

And he made places for worship at the high places, and made priests, who were not Levites, from among all the people.

32 Eɖo ŋkekenyui aɖe anyi da ɖe ɣleti enyilia ƒe ŋkeke wuiatɔ̃lia dzi abe ŋkekenyui siwo woɖuna le Yuda ene eye wòsaa vɔ le vɔsamlekpui la dzi. Ewɔ esia le Betel eye wosaa vɔ na nyivi siwo wòwɔ le Betel. Eɖo nunɔlawo na nuxeƒe siwo wòtu.

And Jeroboam gave orders for a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is kept in Judah, and he went up to the altar. And in the same way, in Beth-el, he gave offerings to the oxen which he had made, placing in Beth-el the priests of the high places he had made.

33 Le ɣleti enyilia, ɣleti si eya ŋutɔ tia la ƒe ŋkeke wuiatɔ̃lia dzi la, esaa vɔwo le vɔsamlekpui si wòtu ɖe Betel la dzi. Ale wòɖo ŋkekenyui la anyi na Israelviwo eye wòyina ɖasaa vɔwo le vɔsamlekpui la dzi.

He went up to the altar he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month fixed by him at his pleasure; and he gave orders for a feast for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar, and there he made the smoke of his offerings go up.