Some of the People Rebel against Rehoboam
(1 Kings 12.1-20)1 Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
2 Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he returned from Egypt, where he had gone to hide from Solomon. 3 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 Rehoboam replied, “Come back in three days 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 be kind and promise to 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. He spoke bluntly 14 and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested. He said: “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 work force, 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.
Everyone from Israel's northern tribes went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from Judah. And since that day, the people of Israel have been opposed to David's descendants in Judah. All of this happened just as Ahijah the Lord's prophet from Shiloh had told Jeroboam.
Omapata omulongo taa amuka kuRehabeam
1 Ndele Rehabeam okwa ya kuSekem, osheshi Ovaisraeli aveshe va ya kuSekem, ve mu ninge ohamba. 2 Ndele Jerobeam yaNebat, eshi e shi uda manga a li muEgipiti, omo a ya ohamba Salomo onhapo, okwa alukila keumbo. 3 Ndele ovanhu voilando yokoumbangalanhu ove mu ifana ko. Jerobeam navo aveshe ova ya kuRehabeam nove mu lombwela: 4 “Xo okwe tu hepeka noku tu twika omutengi mudjuu, ndelenee ove pupaleka hano oudjuu nonghalamwenyo yetu, opo tu ninge ovapiya voye ovaduliki.” 5 Ndele ye okwe va nyamukula: “Peni nge omafiku atatu ndi shi dilonge, nye mu aluke.” Ovanhu va ya. 6 Opo nee ohamba Rehabeam a kundafana novakulunhu ovo va li ovayandjimayele vaxe, ndele ta pula: “Ondunge i lipi tamu pe nge opo ndi nyamukule ovanhu ava?” 7 Ndele vo ove mu lombwela, tava ti: “Ove ngeenge to kala u nombili novanhu ava, ndele to va wapalele ndele to va lombwele eendjovo dombili, vo otava ka ninga ovapiya voye fiyo alushe.” 8 Ndelenee ye ina landula epukululo lovakulunhu; okwa ka pula omayele kovanyasha ovo a kula navo, vo ovo a ninga ovayandjimayele vaye. 9 Ndele ye ta pula kuvo: “Nye otamu pe nge epukululo li lipipo, nandi nyamukule ngahelipi ovanhu ava va lombwela nge, tava ti: ‘Pupaleka omutengi, xo e u tu twika’?” 10 Novanyasha ovo va kula pamwe naye, va nyamukula ndele tava ti: “Ovanhu ovo ve ku lombwela tava ti: ‘Xo okwe tu twika omutengi mudjuu, ndelenee ove u u tu pupalekela,’ u noku va nyamukula ngaha: ‘Okamunwe kange kanini ke dule omatundji atate. 11 Tate ngeenge e mu twika omutengi mudjuu, ame ohandi ka weda ko komutengi weni. Tate ngeenge e mu dengifa eengola, ame ohandi ke mu dengifa eengola di nomakiya.’ ” 12 Jerobeam novanhu aveshe eshi ve uya kuRehabeam konima yomafiku atatu, ngaashi ohamba ye va lombwelele, 13 ohamba Rehabeam oya li ihe na ko nasha nepukululo olo lovakulunhu, noya pa ovanhu enyamukulo likukutu, 14 ndele tai va lombwele papukululo lovanyasha ndele tai ti: “Tate ngeenge e mu twika omutengi mudjuu, ame ohandi ka weda ko vali komutengi weni. Tate ngeenge e mu denga neengola, ame ohandi ke mu denga neengola domakiya.” 15 Osho ngaha hano ohamba inai pwilikina ovanhu, ndelenee Omwene osho a endifa, opo a wanife ondjovo yaye, e i popififa Ahia, Omusilo, a lombwela Jerobeam yaNebat.
16 Ovaisraeli aveshe eshi va mona nokutya, ohamba inai va pwilikina, ovanhu va nyamukula ohamba, ndele tava ti:
“Fye otu noshitukulwa shilipipo muDavid?
Katu noshitukulwafyuululwa momona waIsai!
Israel, keshe umwe na ye ketwali laye!
David, tala hano paife eumbo loye mwene!”
Opo nee Ovaisraeli aveshe va ya komatwali avo. 17 Ndelenee Rehabeam okwa kala ashike ohamba yovanhu ava vomoshitukulwa shaJuda.
18 Opo nee ohamba Rehabeam ya tuma Hadoram, omupashukili woilonga yefininiko moshilongo, ndelenee ovana vaIsrael ve mu dipaa nomamanya. Nohamba Rehabeam ya fadukila meendelelo kuJerusalem netemba loita. 19 Okudja opo Ovaisraeli va amuka kepata laDavid fiyo onena eli.
