1 Ndị Eze 12
1 Rehoboam gara Shekem, nʼihi na Izrel niile zukọrọ ebe ahụ ime ya eze.
All [HYP] the people of [northern] Israel went to Shechem [city] in order to appoint Rehoboam to be their king. So Rehoboam also went there.
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.
When Jeroboam, who was still in Egypt, heard about that, he returned from Egypt [to Israel].
3 Ya mere, ha ziri ozi kpọọ Jeroboam, ya na ọgbakọ Izrel niile jekwuru Rehoboam sị ya:
The [leaders of the northern tribes] summoned him, and they went together [to talk] to Rehoboam. They said to him,
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 [Solomon] forced us to work very hard [MET] for him. If you (lighten these loads/do not force us to work that hard), and if you charge us less taxes than we were paying to him, we will serve you [faithfully].”
5 Rehoboam zara ha sị, “Laanụ, ụbọchị atọ gasịa unu bịaghachikwutenụ m.” Nʼihi ya ndị ahụ lara.
He replied, “Go away, and come back three days from now [and I will give you my answer].” So those leaders and Jeroboam 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?”
Then King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had advised his father Solomon while he was still living. He asked them, “What shall I say to answer those men?”
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 want to serve your people well, speak kindly to those men when you reply to them. If you do that, your people will always serve you faithfully.”
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 he ignored what the older men advised him to do. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him, who were now (his advisors/the ones who told him what would be good to do).
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 said to them, “What should I say to the men who are asking me to reduce the [work and taxes] that my father required from them?”
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.
They replied, “This is what you should tell 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.’”
What I mean is that my father required you [to work hard and pay high taxes]. But I will make those loads heavier. [It was as though] my father whipped you, but [it will be as though] I will whip you with whips that have pieces of metal in them.’”
12 Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị, Jeroboam na ndị Izrel niile bịaghachiri ịnụrụ ọsịsa Rehoboam, dịka eze kwuru, sị, “Laghachitenụ nʼụbọchị nke atọ.”
So three days later, Jeroboam and all the leaders came to Rehoboam again, as he had told them to do.
13 Eze sara ndị a okwu nʼolu dị ike. Ọ jụrụ ndụmọdụ nke ndị okenye nyere ya,
The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israeli leaders.
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 told them what the younger men had advised.] He said, “My father put heavy burdens [of work and taxes] on you, but I will put heavier burdens on you. [It was as though] he beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have pieces of metal in them!”
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.
So the king did not pay any attention to the Israeli leaders. But this happened in order that what Yahweh wanted would occur, what he had told the prophet Ahijah about Jeroboam [becoming king of the ten tribes].
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 the Israeli leaders realized that the king did not pay any attention to what they said, they shouted, “We do not [RHQ] want anything to do with this descendant of King David! We will not pay attention to what this grandson of Jesse says! You people of Israel, let’s go home! As for this descendant of David [MTY], he can rule his own kingdom [MTY]!” So the Israeli leaders returned to their homes.
17 Ma banyere ndị Izrel bi nʼobodo niile nke Juda, Rehoboam gara nʼihu bụrụ eze ha.
And [after that, ] the [only Israeli] people whom Rehoboam ruled over were those who lived in the territory of [the tribe of] 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 Adoniram [to talk to the Israeli people]. Adoniram was the man who supervised [all the men who were] forced to work [for Rehoboam]. But the Israeli people killed him by throwing stones at him. When that happened, King Rehoboam quickly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
19 Ya mere, Izrel nọ na nnupu isi megide ụlọ Devid ruo taa.
Ever since that time, the people of [the northern tribes of] Israel have been rebelling against the descendants [MTY] of [King] David.
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 the Israeli people heard that Jeroboam had returned [from Egypt], they invited him to come to a meeting, and there they appointed him to be the king of Israel. Only the people of the tribes of Judah [and Benjamin] continued to be loyal to [the kings descended from King] [MTY] 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 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes [MTY] of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted them to fight against the northern tribes of [MTY] Israel [and defeat them], in order that he could [rule all the tribes of] his kingdom again.
22 Ma okwu Chineke rutere Shemaya onye nke Chineke ntị, sị,
But God spoke to the prophet Shemaiah and said this to him:
23 “Gwa Rehoboam, nwa Solomọn eze Juda, na ndị Juda niile, na Benjamin na ndị ọzọ niile, sị ha,
“Go and tell this to [Solomon’s son] Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the people from the northern tribe who live in Judah:
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.
‘Yahweh says that you must not go to fight against your own relatives, the people of Israel. All of you must go home. What has happened is what Yahweh wanted to happen.’” [So Shemaiah went and told that to them, ] and they all paid attention to what Yahweh had commanded them to do, and they went home.
25 Mgbe ahụ, Jeroboam wusiri Shekem dị nʼala ugwu Ifrem ike, biri nʼebe ahụ. Nʼebe ahụ ka o si pụọ, gaa wuo obodo Peniel.
Then Jeroboam’s workers built [walls around] Shechem [city] in the hilly area [where the descendants] of Ephraim [lived], and he ruled from there for a while. He and his workers then left there and went to Peniel [town], and they built walls around that town.
26 Ma Jeroboam chere nʼobi ya, sị “Ugbu a, ka alaeze nwere ike laghachikwa nʼaka ụlọ Devid.
Then Jeroboam said to himself, “If my people [continue to] go to Jerusalem and offer sacrifices to Yahweh at the temple there, soon they will again become loyal to Rehoboam, the king of Judah [DOU], and they will kill me.”
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.”
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 he consulted [his advisors, and then he did what they suggested]. He [told his workers to] make gold [statues of] two calves. Then he said to the people, “You have been going to Jerusalem [to worship] for a long time. It is a big trouble for you to continue going there. You people of Israel, look! These statues are the gods that brought our [ancestors] up from Egypt! [So you can worship these, here!]”
29 Otu nʼime ha ka o guzobere na Betel, tinyekwa nke ọzọ na Dan.
He [told his workers to] place one of the statues in Bethel [city in the south] and one in Dan [city in the north].
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.
So [what Jeroboam did caused] the people [to] sin. Some of them went and worshiped the calf at Bethel, and others went and worshiped the other calf at Dan.
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.
[Moses had declared that only men from the tribe of Levi would be priests, but] Jeroboam also told his workers to build shrines on hilltops, and then he appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to be priests.
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.
He also appointed Adonijah and two priests, Elishama and Jehoram. They had a celebration at the end of October, like the celebration [of Living in Temporary Shelters] that occurred in Judah [each year]. On the altar [that they built] in Bethel, he offered sacrifices to the gold statues of calves that they had made, and he stationed the priests there at the shrines that his workers 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.
Jeroboam went up to that altar on that day in October which he himself had chosen. There on that altar he burned incense [to be a sacrifice]. And he declared that the people should celebrate that festival [on that same day every year].
