1 Ndị Eze 12
1 Rehoboam gara Shekem, nʼihi na Izrel niile zukọrọ ebe ahụ ime ya eze.
Rehoboam went to Shechem because that is where the whole of Israel had gone to make him king.
2 Mgbe Jeroboam nwa Nebat nụrụ nke a (ọ ka nọ nʼIjipt ebe ọ gbagara ọsọ ndụ site nʼaka eze Solomọn), o sitere Ijipt lọta.
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.)
3 Ya mere, ha ziri ozi kpọọ Jeroboam, ya na ọgbakọ Izrel niile jekwuru Rehoboam sị ya:
The Israelite leaders sent for him. Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israelites went to talk with Rehoboam.
4 “Nna gị boro anyị ibu arọ, ma ugbu a mee ka ibu arọ na ịyagba arọ a nke o bokwasịrị anyị, dị mfe, anyị ga-ejere gị ozi.”
“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.”
5 Rehoboam zara ha sị, “Laanụ, ụbọchị atọ gasịa unu bịaghachikwutenụ m.” Nʼihi ya ndị ahụ lara.
Rehoboam answered, “Go away and come back in three days time.” So the people left.
6 Mgbe ahụ, eze Rehoboam gara ịnata ndụmọdụ nʼaka ndị okenye, bụ ndị jeere nna ya Solomọn ozi nʼoge ọ dị ndụ, sị ha, “Olee ndụmọdụ unu ga-enye m maka mụ inye ndị a ọsịsa?”
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.
7 Ha zara ya, “Ọ bụrụ na ị ga-abụ odibo nye ndị a taa, jeere ha ozi, nyekwa ha ọsịsa dị mma, ha ga-anọgide bụrụ ndị ohu gị mgbe niile.”
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.”
8 Ma ọ nabataghị ndụmọdụ ndị okenye nyere ya, ọ gakwuru ụmụ okorobịa ndị ya na ha tokọrọ, bụkwa ndị na-ejere ya ozi, ka ha nye ya ndụmọdụ.
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.
9 Rehoboam jụrụ ha sị, “Gịnị bụ ndụmọdụ unu? Gịnị bụ ọsịsa anyị ga-enye ndị a na-asị, ‘Mee ka ibu arọ nna gị bokwasịrị anyị dị mfe’?”
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’?”
10 Ụmụ okorobịa ahụ, bụ ndị ya na ha tokọrọ, zaghachiri sị, “Gwa ndị ahụ sịrị gị, ‘Nna gị bokwasịrị anyị ibu arọ, ma mee ka ibu anyị dị mfe,’ ị ga-agwa ha, sị, ‘Mkpịsịaka nta dị nʼaka m gbara okpotokpo karịa ukwu nna m.
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!
11 Nna m boro unu ibu arọ; aga m atụkwasị ihe nʼibu ahụ mee ka ọ dị arọ karịa. Nna m ji apịpịa dọọ unu aka na ntị, maọbụ akpị ka m ga-eji mekpaa unu ahụ.’”
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.’”
12 Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị, Jeroboam na ndị Izrel niile bịaghachiri ịnụrụ ọsịsa Rehoboam, dịka eze kwuru, sị, “Laghachitenụ nʼụbọchị nke atọ.”
Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, because the king had told them, “Come back in three days time.”
13 Eze sara ndị a okwu nʼolu dị ike. Ọ jụrụ ndụmọdụ nke ndị okenye nyere ya,
The king answered the people sharply. Dismissing the advice of the elders,
14 ma gbasoro ndụmọdụ nke ụmụ okorobịa nyere. Ọ sịrị, “Nna m mere ka ibu unu dị arọ, aga m eme ka ibu unu dị arọ karịa. Nna m ji apịpịa dọọ unu aka na ntị, aga m eji akpị mekpaa unu ahụ.”
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.”
15 Ya mere, eze aṅaghị ndị ahụ ntị, nʼihi mgbanwe nke ọnọdụ niile a sitere nʼebe Onyenwe anyị nọ, ka e mezuo okwu ahụ Onyenwe anyị gwara Jeroboam nwa Nebat site nʼọnụ Ahija onye Shilo.
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.
16 Mgbe Izrel niile hụrụ na eze jụrụ ige ha ntị, ha zaghachiri ya sị, “Olee oke anyị nwere nʼime Devid? Olee ihe nketa anyị nwere nʼime nwa Jesi? Ndị Izrel, laanụ nʼụlọ ikwu unu! Gị Devid lekọtakwa ụlọ nke gị.” Ya mere, ndị Izrel lara nʼụlọ ha.
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.
17 Ma banyere ndị Izrel bi nʼobodo niile nke Juda, Rehoboam gara nʼihu bụrụ eze ha.
However, Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in Judah.
18 Eze Rehoboam zipụrụ Adoniram, onyeisi na-elekọta ndị ọrụ mmanye, ma ndị Izrel niile ji nkume tugbuo ya. Ma eze Rehoboam jisiri ike gbaba nʼime ụgbọ agha ya, gbalaga laa Jerusalem.
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.
19 Ya mere, Izrel nọ na nnupu isi megide ụlọ Devid ruo taa.
As a result, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 Mgbe ndị Izrel nụrụ na Jeroboam alaghachitala, ha ziri ya ozi sị ya pụta nʼihu ọha mmadụ. Nʼebe ahụ ka ha nọ mee ya eze Izrel. Ọ dịghị ebo ọbụla kwenyere iso ụlọ Devid, karịakwa ebo Juda.
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.
21 Mgbe Rehoboam bịarutere Jerusalem, ọ kpọkọtara ndị ụlọ Juda niile na ndị ebo Benjamin, ha dị narị puku na iri asatọ nʼọnụọgụgụ, ụmụ okorobịa ndị tozuru ịga agha, ka ha gaa buso ụlọ Izrel agha ma weghachitekwa alaeze nʼokpuru ọchịchị Rehoboam, nwa Solomọn.
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.
22 Ma okwu Chineke rutere Shemaya onye nke Chineke ntị, sị,
But a message from the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God that said,
23 “Gwa Rehoboam, nwa Solomọn eze Juda, na ndị Juda niile, na Benjamin na ndị ọzọ niile, sị ha,
“Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, to Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people:
24 Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Unu agakwala gaa buso ụmụnna unu, bụ ndị Izrel agha. Laghachinụ, nwoke ọbụla nʼụlọ ya, nʼihi na ọ bụ m na-eme nke a.’” Ya mere, ha rubere isi nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị, onye ọbụla nʼime ha laghachikwara nʼụlọ ya dịka Onyenwe anyị nyere nʼiwu.
‘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.
25 Mgbe ahụ, Jeroboam wusiri Shekem dị nʼala ugwu Ifrem ike, biri nʼebe ahụ. Nʼebe ahụ ka o si pụọ, gaa wuo obodo Peniel.
Jeroboam strengthened the town of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went and built Penuel.
26 Ma Jeroboam chere nʼobi ya, sị “Ugbu a, ka alaeze nwere ike laghachikwa nʼaka ụlọ Devid.
Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom could easily return to the house of David.
27 Nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na ndị mmadụ gaa ịchụ aja nʼụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị nke dị na Jerusalem, obi ha nwere ike laghachikwuru onyenwe ha, bụ Rehoboam eze Juda. Ha ga-egbu m, laghachikwuru eze Rehoboam.”
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.”
28 Mgbe ọ natachara ndụmọdụ, eze kpụrụ ụmụ ehi ọlaedo abụọ. Ọ sịrị ndị mmadụ, “Ọ bụ oke ọrụ nye unu ịgbago Jerusalem. Leenụ chi unu, ndị Izrel, ndị sitere nʼIjipt kpọpụta unu.”
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.”
29 Otu nʼime ha ka o guzobere na Betel, tinyekwa nke ọzọ na Dan.
He placed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 Ihe a ghọrọ mmehie dịrị ha, nʼihi na ndị mmadụ na-abịa kpọọ isiala nye nke dị na Betel ma gaakwa ebe dị anya, dịka Dan, nʼihi ife ehi ọlaedo nke dị nʼebe ahụ ofufe.
This action brought about sin, because the people went as far north as Dan to worship the idol there.
31 Jeroboam wuru ebe ịchụ aja nʼebe dị elu dị iche iche. Ọ họpụtara ndị nchụaja site nʼetiti ndị Izrel niile, nʼagbanyeghị na ha abụghị ndị Livayị.
In addition Jeroboam had shrines built on high places and appointed as priests all kinds of people who were not Levites.
32 O hiwere mmemme a na-eme nʼụbọchị nke iri na ise nʼọnwa nke asatọ, dịka mmemme a na-eme na Juda. Ọ chụkwara aja nʼebe ịchụ aja. O mere nke a na Betel, chụọrọ ụmụ ehi ọlaedo ahụ ọ kpụrụ aja. O tinyere ndị nchụaja nʼọrụ nʼebe niile dị elu nke o mere ka ha dịrị na Betel.
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.
33 Nʼụbọchị nke iri na ise, nʼọnwa asatọ, bụ ọnwa nke ya onwe ya chepụtara, ọ chụrụ aja dị iche iche nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja o wuru na Betel. Ya mere, o hiwere mmemme a ka ọ dịịrị ndị Izrel niile; ya onwe ya kwa gara chụọ aja onyinye dị iche iche nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja.
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.
