Fiawo 1 12

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

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem 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.

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

and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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

He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” So the people departed.

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?”

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

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

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 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?”

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 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.

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 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.’”

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 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 Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”

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

The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

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.”

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 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 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 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.

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

But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

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

So Israel rebelled against David’s house 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.

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 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 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 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,

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

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel.

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

Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.

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

He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

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

This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.

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

He made houses of high places, and made priests from amongst all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

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.

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 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 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.