歷代志下

第 10 章

1. 羅波安往示劍去、因為以色列人都到了示劍、要立他作王.
Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
2. 尼八的兒子耶羅波安先前躲避所羅門王、逃往埃及、住在那裡.他聽見這事、就從埃及回來.
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
3. 以色列人打發人去請他.他就和以色列眾人來見羅波安、對他說、
So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
4. 你父親使我們負重軛作苦工.現在求你使我們作的苦工負的重軛輕鬆些、我們就事奉你.
"Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you."
5. 羅波安對他們說、第三日再來見我罷.民就去了。
Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days." So the people went away.
6. 羅波安之父所羅門在世的日子、有侍立在他面前的老年人、羅波安王和他們商議、說、你們給我出個甚麼主意、我好回覆這民.
Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked.
7. 老年人對他說、王若恩待這民、使他們喜悅、用好話回覆他們、他們就永遠作王的僕人。
They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants."
8. 王卻不用老年人給他出的主意、就和那些與他一同長大、在他面前侍立的少年人商議、
But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
9. 說、這民對我說、你父親使我們負重軛、求你使我們輕鬆些.你們給我出個甚麼主意、我好回覆他們.
He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"
10. 那同他長大的少年人說、這民對王說、你父親使我們負重軛、求你使我們輕鬆些.王要對他們如此說、我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗.
The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell the people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'--tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
11. 我父親使你們負重軛、我必使你們負更重的軛.我父親用鞭子責打你們、我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。
My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'"
12. 耶羅波安和眾百姓遵著羅波安王所說、你們第三日再來見我的那話.第三日他們果然來了。
Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days."
13. 羅波安王用嚴厲的話回覆他們、不用老年人所出的主意.
The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders,
14. 照著少年人所出的主意對他們說、我父親使你們負重軛、我必使你們負更重的軛.我父親用鞭子責打你們、我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。
he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions."
15. 王不肯依從百姓.這事乃出於 神、為要應驗耶和華藉示羅人亞希雅對尼八兒子耶羅波安所說的話。
So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
16. 以色列眾民見王不依從他們、就對王說、我們與大衛有甚麼分兒呢、與耶西的兒子並沒有關涉.以色列人哪、各回各家去罷.大衛家阿、自己顧自己罷.於是、以色列眾人都回自己家裡去了。
When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" So all the Israelites went home.
17. 惟獨住在猶大城邑的以色列人、羅波安仍作他們的王。
But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
18. 羅波安王差遣掌管服苦之人的哈多蘭往以色列人那裡去、以色列人就用石頭打死他.羅波安王急忙上車、逃回耶路撒冷去了。
King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
19. 這樣、以色列人背叛大衛家、直到今日。
So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.