Some of the People Rebel against Rehoboam
(2 Chronicles 10.1-19)1 Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
2 Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, where he had gone to hide from Solomon. 3 But the people from the northern tribes of Israel sent for him. Then together they went to Rehoboam and said, 4 “Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard. But if you make our work easier, we will serve you and do whatever you ask.”
5 “Give me three days to think about it,” Rehoboam replied, “then come back for my answer.” So the people left.
6 Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, “What should I tell these people?”
7 They answered, “If you want them to serve and obey you, then you should do what they ask today. Tell them you will make their work easier.”
8 But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials. 9 He asked, “What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?”
10 His younger advisors said:
Here's what we think you should say to them: “Compared to me, my father was weak. 11 He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!”
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back. 13 Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors. 14 He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: “My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!”
15-19 When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: “We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people.”
Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem.
So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the Lord's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
20 When the Israelites heard that Jeroboam was back, they called everyone together. Then they sent for Jeroboam and made him king of Israel. Only the people from the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's family.
Shemaiah Warns Rehoboam
(2 Chronicles 11.1-4)21 After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and take control of the whole country. So he called together 180,000 soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
22 Meanwhile, God told Shemaiah the prophet 23 to give Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin this warning: 24 “Don't go to war against the people from Israel—they are your relatives. Go home! I am the Lord, and I made these things happen.”
Rehoboam and his army obeyed the Lord and went home.
Jeroboam Makes Religious Changes
25 Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Ephraim and made it a stronger town, then he moved there. He also fortified the town of Penuel.
26-27 One day, Jeroboam started thinking, “Everyone in Israel still goes to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord. What if they become loyal to David's family again? They will kill me and accept Rehoboam as their king.”
28 Jeroboam asked for advice and then made two gold statues of calves. He showed them to the people and said, “Listen everyone! You won't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Here are your gods who rescued you from Egypt.” 29 Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel and the other in the town of Dan. 30 The people sinned because they started going to these places to worship.
31 Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrines and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests. 32-33 He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah. On that day, Jeroboam went to Bethel and offered sacrifices on the altar to the gold calf he had put there. Then he assigned the priests their duties.
Omahaṋikiro wouhona
(2Eku 10:1-19)1 Rehabeam wa ya kOsikem Ovaisrael avehe vokomukuma wokeyuva kokunene ku va kaworonganena okumuzika okurira ombara. 2 Jerobeam, omuzandu wa Nebat, ngwa ire kOengipte okutaura kombara Salomo, tja zuva ombuze ndji otja kotoka okuza kOengipte. 3 Omihoko vyokeyuva kokunene vya hinda ombuze ku ye okukemuisana; novyo avihe otji vya ya ku Rehabeam navi katja nai: 4 “Iho Salomo we tu tatumisa tjinene nu we tu ungurisa noutwe. Tji wa puparisa omauzeu nga ku eṱe no tjiti kutja tu hupe nawa, matu ku karere.”
5 Eye wa zira a tja: “Kotokeye kombunda yomayuva yetatu, ami otji me mu pe eziriro randje.” Nowo otji va ya.
6 Tjazumba Rehabeam otja kapura kovayandjandunge va Salomo na tja: “Hi kayandje eziriro riṋe kovandu mba?”
7 Nowo va zira nai: “Tji movanga okukarera ovandu mba nawa, ve pa eziriro nda yenene ku ihi tji mave ningire; nowo aruhe otji mave ku karere nondengero.”
8 Nungwari Rehabeam ka zuvire komaronga wovayandjandunge mba. Moruveze rwanao eye wa ya kovayandjandunge ve omuini, ovarumendu mbe kurira pamwe na ye, nu mba ri motjiungura tje. 9 Eye we ve pura na tja: “Mamu ndji pe ondunge ine ndji me sokutjita? Ami hi tje vi kovandu mba mbu mave ningire kutja mbi puparise omauzeu wawo.”
10 Nowo va zira nave tja: “Ove ve raera nai: ‘Omunwe wandje kariwona omutindi pomavango wa tate. 11 Omitwaro vya tate tji vya ri omizeu ku eṋe, imbi ovyandje mavi rire omizeu tjinene komurungu; eye ee mu tono nozongora uriri, nungwari ami me mu tono nozongora zomakuiya.’ ”
12 Kombunda yomayuva yetatu Jerobeam novandu avehe va kotoka kombara Rehabeam otja pe ve raerere. 13 Ombara kai zuvire komaronga wovayandjandunge imba ovanene, nai hungire noutwe novandu, 14 otja ovayandjandunge vayo, imba omitanda, pu ve i raera kutja itje nai: “Omitwaro vya tate tji vya ri omizeu ku eṋe, imbi ovyandje mavi rire omizeu tjinene komurungu; eye ee mu tono nozongora, nungwari ami me mu tono nozongora zomakuiya.” 15 Rehabeam kutja a ha zuu kotjiwaṋa ya ri ombango ya Muhona, okuyenenisa omakwizikiro eye nga yandja ku Jerobeam, omuzandu wa Nebat, notjinyo tjomuprofete Ahija, Omusidon.
16 Ovaisrael tji va muna kutja ombara kai nokupuratena ku wo otji va ravaera nave tja: “David neṱunḓu re nga ze po! Owo hapo ve tu ungurira tjike? Vaisrael, indjeye tu yaruke kozoyetu! Rehabeam nge ritarere omuini!”
Komuhingo mbwi Ovaisrael otji va yaruka kozoyawo. 17 Rehabeam otja honaparera Ovaisrael imba mba tura mehi ra Juda porwe.
18 Nombara Rehabeam wa hinda Adoniram, omutjevere wovaungure voviungura vyoṋiṋikizire, a yende kOvaisrael; nungwari Ovaisrael ve mu zepa nomawe. Kamanga ombara Rehabeam opa rondera metemba re rovita na taurire kOjerusalem. 19 Okuza koruveze ndo nga ku ndinondi Ovaisrael avehe vokeyuva kokunene otji ve pirukira ouhona wa David.
20 Ovaisrael tji va zuva kutja Jerobeam wa kotoka okuza kOengipte otji ve mu ṋanga kombongarero yotjiwaṋa nave mu ziki okurira ombara ya Israel. Omuhoko wa Juda porwe ombwa panḓera pozondekurona za David.
Omaukiro wa Semaja
(2Eku 11:1-4)21 Ombara Rehabeam tje ya mOjerusalem otja woronganisa ovarwe wovita ovatoororwa 180,000 momuhoko wa Juda nowa Benjamin okukarwisa ovita nokuzikamisa ouhona we rukwao momihoko vyOvaisrael, mbi ri komukuma wokeyuva kokunene. 22 Nungwari Ndjambi wa raera omuprofete Semaja 23 kutja a yandje ombuze ndji ku Rehabeam, omuzandu wa Salomo, ombara ya Juda, na kovandu avehe vomuhoko wa Juda nowa Benjamin 24 kutja Muhona wa tja nai: “Amu rwisa ovazamumwe veṋu oveni imba Ovaisrael. Auhe nga yaruke koye, orondu ihi tji tja tjitwa, otjo tja tjitwa i ami.” Owo avehe otji va kara nonḓuviro komarakiza wa Muhona nave yaruka kozoyawo.
Jerobeam ma poka ku Muhona
25 Jerobeam, ombara ya Israel, wa zeuparisa omatungiro wotjihuro Sikem mehi rozondundu ra Efraim, na tura mo oruveze orusupi, okuzambo wa ya na kazeuparisa otjihuro Penuel. 26 Nu Jerobeam we ripura mu ye omuini a tja: “Ngahino ouhona mau yaruka rukwao kozondekurona za David. 27 Orondu otjiwaṋa tjandje tji tja kapunguhira Muhona ozombunguhiro mondjuwo ye mOjerusalem, matji kerikuta kuna Rehabeam, ombara ya Juda, natji ndji zepa.”
28 Jerobeam tja za nokuripura notjiṋa hi otja ungura oviserekarera vivari vyozondwezu zozongombe pongoldo na tja kotjiwaṋa tje: “Eṋe mwa ryangera kOjerusalem potuingi tjinene okukakumba, Vaisrael; oomukuru veṋu mbe mu pitisa mOengipte owo mba!” 29 Ondwezu imwe yongombe yongoldo we i zika mObetel, nongwao we i zika mOdan. 30 Komuhingo mbwi otjiwaṋa otji tja katuka, ama tji kakumbira mObetel na mOdan. 31 Jerobeam wina wa tunga otuveze twomerikotameneno kozondunda na toorora ovapristeri momaṱunḓu nge ha ri owomuhoko wa Levi.
Omerikotameneno mObetel maye nyengewa
32 Jerobeam wa zika omukandi meyuva oritjamurongo na yetano komueze outjahambondatu tjimuna omukandi mbu tjitwa mOjuda. Eye wa punguhira ozondwezu zozongombe zongoldo nḓa ungurira ozombunguhiro kotjipunguhiro mObetel, na ziki ovapristeri poṋa mbo, potuveze twomerikotameneno twokozondunda twa ungura. 33 Nu meyuva oritjamurongo na yetano komueze outjahambondatu, eyuva eye omuini nda zika, wa ya kObetel na katjita omukandi mbwa zikira Ovaisrael ama punguhire ozombunguhiro kotjipunguhiro.
