1 Wafalme 12
1 Rehoboamu akaenda Shekemu, kwa kuwa Waisraeli wote walikuwa wamekwenda huko kumfanya yeye kuwa mfalme.
Rehoboam went to Shechem because that is where the whole of Israel had gone to make him king.
2 Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati aliposikia hili (alikuwa bado yuko Misri alikokuwa amekimbilia awe mbali na Mfalme Solomoni), akarudi kutoka Misri.
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 Kwa hiyo wakatuma watu kumwita Yeroboamu, yeye na kusanyiko lote la Israeli wakamwendea Rehoboamu na kumwambia,
The Israelite leaders sent for him. Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israelites went to talk with Rehoboam.
4 “Baba yako aliweka nira nzito juu yetu, lakini sasa tupunguzie kazi za kikatili na nira nzito aliyoweka juu yetu, nasi tutakutumikia.”
“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 Rehoboamu akajibu, “Nendeni kwa muda wa siku tatu na kisha mnirudie.” Basi watu wakaenda zao.
Rehoboam answered, “Go away and come back in three days time.” So the people left.
6 Kisha Mfalme Rehoboamu akataka shauri kwa wazee ambao walimtumikia Solomoni baba yake wakati wa uhai wake akawauliza, “Mnanishauri nini katika kuwajibu watu hawa?”
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 Wakajibu, “Kama leo utakuwa mtumishi wa watu hawa na kuwahudumia na kuwapa jibu linaloridhisha, watakuwa watumishi wako daima.”
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 Lakini Rehoboamu akakataa shauri alilopewa na wazee na akataka ushauri kwa vijana wanaume rika lake waliokuwa wakimtumikia.
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 Akawauliza, “Ninyi ushauri wenu ni nini? Tutawajibuje watu hawa wanaoniambia, ‘Ifanye nyepesi nira baba yako aliyoweka juu yetu?’”
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 Wale vijana wa rika lake wakamjibu, “Waambie watu hawa waliokuambia, ‘Baba yako aliweka nira nzito juu yetu, lakini ifanye nira yetu nyepesi,’ kuwa, ‘Kidole changu kidogo ni kinene kuliko kiuno cha baba yangu.
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 Baba yangu aliweka nira nzito juu yenu, mimi nitaifanya hata iwe nzito zaidi. Baba yangu aliwachapa kwa mijeledi, mimi nitawachapa kwa nge.’”
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 Siku tatu baadaye, Yeroboamu na watu wote wakamrudia Rehoboamu, kama mfalme alivyokuwa amesema, “Rudini kwangu baada ya siku tatu.”
Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, because the king had told them, “Come back in three days time.”
13 Mfalme akawajibu watu kwa ukatili. Akikataa shauri alilopewa na wazee,
The king answered the people sharply. Dismissing the advice of the elders,
14 akafuata shauri la vijana wa rika lake na kusema, “Baba yangu alifanya nira yenu kuwa nzito, mimi nitaifanya kuwa nzito zaidi. Baba yangu aliwachapa kwa mijeledi, mimi nitawachapa kwa nge.”
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 Kwa hiyo mfalme hakuwasikiliza watu, kwa kuwa jambo hili lilitoka kwa Bwana, ili kutimiza neno ambalo Bwana alikuwa amenena kwa Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati kupitia Ahiya Mshiloni.
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 Israeli wote walipoona kuwa mfalme amekataa kuwasikiliza, wakamjibu mfalme: “Tuna fungu gani kwa Daudi? Sisi hatuna urithi kwa mwana wa Yese. Nendeni kwenye mahema yenu, ee Israeli! Angalia nyumba yako mwenyewe, ee Daudi!” Hivyo Waisraeli wakaenda kwenye mahema yao.
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 Lakini kwa habari ya Waisraeli waliokuwa wakiishi katika miji ya Yuda, Rehoboamu akaendelea kuwatawala bado.
However, Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in Judah.
18 Mfalme Rehoboamu akamtuma Adoramu, aliyekuwa msimamizi wa wale waliofanya kazi ngumu kwa kulazimishwa, lakini Israeli wote wakampiga kwa mawe hadi akafa. Hata hivyo, Mfalme Rehoboamu, akafanikiwa kuingia kwenye gari lake na kutorokea Yerusalemu.
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 Hivyo Israeli wakaasi dhidi ya nyumba ya Daudi hadi leo.
As a result, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 Waisraeli wote waliposikia kwamba Yeroboamu amerudi, wakatuma watu na kumwita kwenye kusanyiko na kumfanya mfalme juu ya Israeli yote. Ni kabila la Yuda peke yake lililobaki kuwa tiifu kwa nyumba ya Daudi.
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 Ikawa Rehoboamu alipofika Yerusalemu, akakusanya nyumba yote ya Yuda na kabila la Benyamini, wanaume wapiganaji 180,000, kufanya vita dhidi ya nyumba ya Israeli na kuurudisha tena ufalme kwa Rehoboamu mwana wa Solomoni.
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 Lakini neno hili la Mungu likamjia Shemaya mtu wa Mungu:
But a message from the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God that said,
23 “Mwambie Rehoboamu mwana wa Solomoni mfalme wa Yuda, na nyumba yote ya Yuda na Benyamini, na watu wengine wote,
“Tell Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, to Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people:
24 ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Msipande kupigana dhidi ya ndugu zenu, Waisraeli. Nendeni nyumbani, kila mmoja wenu, kwa kuwa hili nimelitenda mimi.’” Kwa hiyo wakalitii neno la Bwana na kurudi nyumbani, kama Bwana alivyokuwa ameagiza.
‘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 Kisha Yeroboamu akajenga Shekemu akaizungushia ngome katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu na akaishi huko. Akatoka huko, akaenda akajenga Penueli.
Jeroboam strengthened the town of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went and built Penuel.
26 Yeroboamu akawaza moyoni mwake, “Sasa inawezekana ufalme ukarudi katika nyumba ya Daudi.
Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom could easily return to the house of David.
27 Kama watu hawa watapanda kwenda kutoa dhabihu katika Hekalu la Bwana huko Yerusalemu, mioyo yao itamrudia bwana wao, Rehoboamu mfalme wa Yuda. Wataniua mimi na kurudi kwa Mfalme Rehoboamu.”
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 Baada ya kutafuta shauri, mfalme akatengeneza ndama wawili wa dhahabu. Akawaambia watu, “Ni gharama kubwa kwenu kukwea kwenda Yerusalemu. Hii hapa miungu yenu, ee Israeli, iliyowapandisha kutoka Misri.”
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 Ndama mmoja akamweka Betheli na mwingine Dani.
He placed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 Nalo jambo hili likawa dhambi, watu wakawa wanaenda hadi Dani kumwabudu huyo aliyewekwa huko.
This action brought about sin, because the people went as far north as Dan to worship the idol there.
31 Yeroboamu akajenga madhabahu mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu na kuwateua makuhani kutoka watu wa aina zote, ijapokuwa hawakuwa Walawi.
In addition Jeroboam had shrines built on high places and appointed as priests all kinds of people who were not Levites.
32 Pia Yeroboamu akaweka sikukuu katika siku ya kumi na tano ya mwezi wa nane, kama sikukuu iliyokuwa ikifanyika huko Yuda, na akatoa dhabihu juu ya madhabahu. Akafanya hivyo huko Betheli akitoa dhabihu kwa ndama alizotengeneza. Huko Betheli akawaweka makuhani, na pia katika sehemu za juu za kuabudia miungu alizozitengeneza.
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 Katika siku ya kumi na tano ya mwezi wa nane, mwezi aliouchagua mwenyewe, alitoa dhabihu juu ya madhabahu aliyokuwa amejenga huko Betheli. Kwa hiyo akaweka sikukuu kwa ajili ya Waisraeli na akapanda madhabahuni kutoa sadaka.
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.
