The Northern Tribes Revolt
(1 Kings 12.1-20)1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the people of northern Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had gone to Egypt to escape from King Solomon, heard this news, he returned home. 3 The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him, 4 “Your father placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects.”
5 Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to consider the matter. Then come back.” So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as his father Solomon's advisers. “What answer do you advise me to give these people?” he asked.
7 They replied, “If you are kind to these people and try to please them by giving a considerate answer, they will always serve you loyally.”
8 But he ignored the advice of the older men and went instead to the young men who had grown up with him and who were now his advisers. 9 “What do you advise me to do?” he asked. “What shall I say to the people who are asking me to make their burdens lighter?”
10 They replied, “This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.’ 11 Tell them, ‘My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!’”
12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to King Rehoboam, as he had instructed them. 13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the people, 14 as the younger men had advised. He said, “My father placed heavy burdens on you; I will make them even heavier. He beat you with whips; I'll flog you with bullwhips!” 15 It was the will of the Lord God to bring about what he had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh. This is why the king did not pay any attention to the people.
16 When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, “Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself!”
So the people of Israel rebelled, 17 leaving Rehoboam as king only of the people who lived in the territory of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to go to the Israelites, but they stoned him to death. At this, Rehoboam hurriedly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. 19 Ever since that time the people of the northern kingdom of Israel have been in rebellion against the dynasty of David.
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.
