1 Ahemfo 12

1 Rehoboam kɔɔ Sekem, ɛfiri sɛ, na Israelfoɔ nyinaa akɔ hɔ sɛ wɔrekɔsi no ɔhene.

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. For in that place, all of Israel had gathered to appoint him as king.

2 Ɛberɛ a Nebat babarima Yeroboam tee sɛ Salomo awuo no, ɔfiri Misraim baeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ ɔdwane firii ɔhene Salomo nsam kɔtenaa Misraim.

Yet truly, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, while he was still in Egypt as a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned from Egypt.

3 Enti, Israel mpanimfoɔ soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yeroboam, na Israel nnipadɔm no nyinaa kɔɔ Rehoboam nkyɛn, ne no kɔkasaeɛ sɛ,

And they sent and called him. Therefore, Jeroboam went, with the entire multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:

4 “Wʼagya hyɛɛ yɛn ma yɛyɛɛ adwumaden. Yɛsrɛ wo, te saa adwumaden ne apeatoɔ adesoa duruduru a wʼagya de soaa yɛn no so. Woyɛ saa a, yɛbɛsom wo nokorɛ mu.”

“Your father imposed a very harsh yoke upon us. And so, you should now take away a little from the very harsh rule of your father and from his very grievous yoke, which he imposed upon us, and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam buaa sɛ, “Momma me nnansa na menwene mo asɛm yi ho. Ɛno akyi, mommra mmɛgye me mmuaeɛ.” Enti, nnipa no sane kɔeɛ.

And he said to them, “Go away, until the third day, and then return to me.” And when the people had gone away,

6 Na ɔhene Rehoboam ne ne mpanimfoɔ a wɔsom nʼagya Salomo ɛberɛ a ɔte ase no tuu asɛm no ho agyina. Ɔbisaa mpanimfoɔ no sɛ, “Moka asɛm no ho ɛdeɛn? Mmuaeɛ bɛn na memfa mma saa nnipa yi?”

king Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had assisted before his father Solomon while he was still living. And he said, “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people?”

7 Wɔbuaa no sɛ, “Sɛ ɛnnɛ yi, wopɛ sɛ woyɛ ɔsomfoɔ ma saa nnipa yi, na woma wɔn mmuaeɛ pa a, ɛnneɛ, daa wɔbɛsom wo nokorɛ mu.”

They said to him, “If today you will obey and serve this people, and yield to their petition, and if you will speak lenient words to them, they will be your servants for all days.”

8 Nanso Rehoboam amfa afotuo a mpanimfoɔ no tuu no no. Mmom, ɔkɔɔ nʼatipɛnfoɔ mmabunu bi a ɔne wɔn sii so a na wɔtu no fo no nkyɛn.

But he abandoned the counsel of the old men, which they had given to him. And he consulted the young men who had been raised with him, and who were assisting him.

9 Ɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Mo nso mo adwene ne sɛn? Mmuaeɛ bɛn na memfa nkɔma nnipa a wɔpɛ sɛ mete adesoa a mʼagya de soaa wɔn no so?”

And he said to them: “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people, who have said to me: ‘Make light the yoke that your father imposed on us?’”

10 Nʼatipɛnfoɔ mmabunu buaa no sɛ, “Ka kyerɛ wɔn a wɔnwiinwii no sɛ, ‘Me kɔkorɔbɛto mu pi sene mʼagya asene; sɛ modwene sɛ ɔhyɛɛ mo so dodo a, montwɛn na monhwɛ sɛdeɛ mɛyɛ.’

And the young men who had been raised with him, said: “You shall speak in this way to this people, who have spoken to you, saying: ‘Your father weighed down our yoke. You should relieve us.’ You shall say this to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

11 Aane, mʼagya yɛɛ den wɔ mo so, na mɛyɛ aboro saa. Mʼagya kaa mo mpire a, me deɛ mede anyanyankyerɛ bɛkeka mo.”

And now, my father placed a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add more upon your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’”

12 Nnansa akyi, Yeroboam ne nnipa no nyinaa sane baa sɛ wɔrebɛtie Rehoboam mmuaeɛ, sɛdeɛ ɔkaeɛ no.

Therefore, Jeroboam and all the people went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had spoken, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

13 Ɔhene no buaa nnipa no abufuo so. Wamfa mpanimfoɔ no afotuo no;

And the king responded to the people harshly, leaving behind the counsel of the elders that they had given to him.

14 ɔfaa mmabunu no afotuo. Ɔka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, “Mʼagya yɛɛ den wɔ mo so, na mɛyɛ aboro saa. Mʼagya hwee mo mpire na me deɛ mede anyanyankyerɛ bɛkeka mo.”

And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: “My father weighed down your yoke, but I will add more to your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.”

15 Enti, ɔhene no antie nnipa no adesrɛ. Sɛdeɛ nneɛma mu daneeɛ no nyinaa firi Awurade, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛmaa asɛm a Awurade nam Ahiya a ɔfiri Silo so ka kyerɛɛ Nebat babarima Yeroboam no baa mu.

And the king did not acquiesce to the people. For the Lord had turned him away, so that he might raise up his word, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

16 Ɛberɛ a Israel nyinaa hunuu sɛ ɔhene anyɛ wɔn abisadeɛ amma wɔn no, wɔteateaam sɛ, “Yɛne Dawid nni hwee yɛ! Yɛne Yisai babarima no nni hwee yɛ! Israel, momma yɛnkɔ yɛn nkyi! Dawid, hwɛ wʼankasa wo fie so!” Enti, Israelfoɔ no sane kɔɔ wɔn fie.

And so the people, seeing that the king had not been willing to listen to them, responded to him, saying: “What part do we have in David? Or what inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Go to your own tents, O Israel. Now David, see to your own house.” And Israel went away to their own tents.

17 Na Rehoboam toaa so dii Israelfoɔ a wɔtenaa Yuda nkuro so no nyinaa so ɔhene.

But over all the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned.

18 Na ɔhene Rehoboam somaa Adoram a na ɔtua adwumayɛfoɔ ano no sɛ ɔnkɔhwɛ, na asomdwoeɛ mmra, nanso Israel nyinaa sii no aboɔ, kumm no. Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Rehoboam tee saa asɛm yi no, ntɛm ara, ɔhuri tenaa ne teaseɛnam mu, dwane kɔɔ Yerusalem.

Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all of Israel stoned him, and he died. Therefore, king Rehoboam hurrying, climbed into the chariot, and fled to Jerusalem.

19 Israel mmusuakuo a wɔwɔ atifi fam no ampene sɛ Dawid aseni bɛdi wɔn so, de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.

And Israel drew away from the house of David, even to the present day.

20 Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ tee sɛ Yeroboam firi Misraim asane aba no, wɔyɛɛ nhyiamu, sii no ɔhene wɔ Israel nyinaa so. Enti, Yuda abusuakuo no nko ara na wɔkaeɛ, somm Dawid fie nokorɛ mu.

And it happened that, when all of Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, gathering an assembly, they sent and called him, and they appointed him as king over all of Israel. And no one followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah alone.

21 Ɛberɛ a Rehoboam duruu Yerusalem no, ɔboaboaa Yuda ne Benyamin akodɔm ano. Ɔyii akofoɔ mpem ɔha ne aduɔwɔtwe, sɛ wɔrekɔko atia Israel akodɔm, na wɔafa ahemman no adi so.

Then Rehoboam went to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the entire house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand elect men of war, so that they might fight against the house of Israel, and might bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

22 Nanso, Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Semaia, Onyankopɔn onipa no sɛ,

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

23 “Ka kyerɛ Salomo babarima Rehoboam, Yudahene ne nnipa a wɔfiri Yuda ne Benyamin sɛ,

“Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah, and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

24 ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, Mo ne mo nuanom Israelfoɔ nntwa mo ho nko. Monsane nkɔ mo akyi, na deɛ asi no nyinaa firi me!’” Enti, wɔtiee Awurade asɛm no, sane kɔɔ wɔn fie sɛdeɛ Awurade hyɛeɛ no.

‘Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not make war against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let each man return to his own house. For this word came from me.’” And they listened to the word of the Lord, and they returned from the journey, as the Lord had instructed them.

25 Yeroboam kyekyeree Sekem kuro wɔ Efraim bepɔ asase so, ma ɛbɛyɛɛ ne kuropɔn. Akyire yi, ɔkɔkyekyeree kuro Penuel.

Then Jeroboam built up Shechem, on mount Ephraim, and he lived there. And departing from there, he built up Penuel.

26 Yeroboam dwenee ho dinn, see nʼakomam sɛ, “Sɛ manhwɛ yie a, ahemman no bɛsane akɔ Dawid fiefoɔ adedifoɔ nsam.

And Jeroboam said in his heart: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David,

27 Na sɛ wɔkɔ Yerusalem, kɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu nso a, wɔbɛsom Yudahene Rehoboam. Ɛba saa a, wɔbɛkum me, de ɔno mmom asi wɔn so ɔhene.”

if this people ascend to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. And the heart of this people will be converted to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and they will put me to death, and return to him.”

28 Enti, ɔtiee deɛ nʼafotufoɔ ka, na ɔyɛɛ sikakɔkɔɔ anantwie mma mmienu. Ɔka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ ɔbrɛ bebree sɛ mobɛforo akɔ Yerusalem akɔsom. Ɛno enti, Israel, yeinom ne anyame a wɔyii mo firii Misraim!”

And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: “No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!”

29 Ɔde nantwie mma ahoni yi sisii Israel anafoɔ ne atifi, wɔ Bet-El ne Dan.

And he stationed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

30 Yei bɛyɛɛ bɔne kɛseɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, nnipa no somm ahoni no, a na mpo wɔtwa ɛkwan kɔ Dan.

And this word became an occasion of sin. For the people went to adore the calf, even to Dan.

31 Yeroboam sisii abosonnan wɔ nkokoɔ so, na ɔpaa asɔfoɔ firii nnipa no mu a na wɔmfiri Lewi asɔfoɔ abusua mu.

And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 Yeroboam hyehyɛɛ nyamesom dapɔnna wɔ Bet-El a na wɔdi saa nna no Bul bosome (bɛyɛ Ahinime) mu a na ɛte sɛ Yuda Dwanekɔbea Afahyɛ no ara. Bet-El hɔ na ɔno ankasa bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa anantwie mma ahoni a wayɛ no. Na Bet-El hɔ ara nso, na ɔpaa asɔfoɔ, maa abosomfie a ɔsisiiɛ no.

And he appointed a solemn day in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in imitation of the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah. And ascending to the altar, he acted similarly in Bethel, so that he immolated to the calves, which he had made. And in Bethel, he appointed priests of the high places, which he had made.

33 Na ɔno ankasa yii da bi too hɔ, Bul bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) mfimfini mu hɔ, na Yeroboam kɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ afɔrebukyia so wɔ Bet-El. Ɔhyɛɛ anyamesom afahyɛ ase maa Israel, na ɔforo kɔɔ afɔrebukyia no so kɔhyee aduhwam.

And he ascended to the altar, which he had raised up in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the day that he had decided in his own heart. And he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he ascended to the altar, so that he might burn incense.