1 T hen Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

وَذَهَبَ رَحُبْعامُ إلَى مَدِينَةِ شَكِيمَ لأنَّ جَميعَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ ذَهَبُوا إلَى هُناكَ لِكَي يُبايِعُوهُ مَلِكاً.

2 W hen Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

وَكانَ يَرُبْعامُ بنُ نَباطَ فِي مصْرَ لِأنَّهُ فَرَّ مِنْ وَجهِ المَلِكِ سُلَيْمانَ. وَسَمعَ يَرُبْعامُ أنَّ رَحُبْعامَ سَيَكُونُ المَلكَ الجَدِيدَ، فَرَجِعَ منْ مصْرَ.

3 S o they sent and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

فَاستَدْعَى بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ يَرُبْعامَ، فَجاءَ مِنْ مِصرَ، وَذَهَبَ مَعَ كُلَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ إلَى رَحُبْعامَ. وَقالُوا لَهُ:

4 “ Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

«لَقَدْ صَعَّبَ أبُوكَ حَياتَنا. فَكانَ ذَلِكَ عِبئاً ثَقيلاً عَلَينا. وَالآنَ خَفِّفْ حِملَنا فَنَخْدِمَكَ.»

5 H e said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.

فَقالَ لَهُمْ رَحُبْعامُ: «عُودُوا إلَيَّ بَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ.» فَانصَرَفَ الشَّعبُ.

6 T hen King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”

فَاسْتَشارَ المَلِكُ رَحُبْعامُ بَعضَ الشُّيُوخِ الَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا مُسْتَشارِينَ لِأبِيهِ سُلَيْمانَ فِي حَياتِهِ وَسَألَهُمْ: «بِماذا أرُدُّ عَلَى الشَّعبٍ؟»

7 T hey spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

فَقالَ الشُّيُوخُ لرَحُبْعامَ: «إذا كُنتَ لَطِيفاً مَعَ هَذا الشَّعبِ وَأرْضَيتَهُمْ بِكَلامٍ حَسَنٍ، حِينَئِذٍ، سَيَخدمُونَكَ وَيَكُونُونَ طَوْعَ أمْرِكَ إلَى الأبَدِ.»

8 B ut he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.

لَكِنَّ رَحُبْعامَ لَمْ يَستَمِعْ إلَى نَصيحَتِهِمْ. فَسَألَ شُبّاناً صِغاراً نَشَأُوا مَعَهُ وَجَعَلَهُمْ مُسْتَشارِيهِ.

9 S o he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

قالَ لَهُمْ رَحُبْعامُ: «قالَ الشَّعبُ لِي: ‹خَفِّفِ الحِملَ الَّذِي وَضَعَهُ أبُوكَ عَلَى أكتافِنا›. فَبِماذا أرُدُّ عَلَيهِمْ؟»

10 T he young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

فَقالَ لَهُ أصحابُهُ الشُّبّانُ الَّذِينَ نَشَأُوا مَعَهُ: «قالَ لَكَ هَؤُلاءِ النّاسُ: ‹فَرَضَ عَلَينا أبُوكَ أشغالاً شاقَّةً. فَالآنَ خَفِّفِ الحِملَ عَنّا.› فَقُلْ لَهُمْ: ‹خِنْصَرِي أغلَظُ مِنْ جِسْمِ أبِي!

11 W hereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

فَرَضَ أبِي عَلَيكُمْ حِملاً ثَقِيلاً، أمّا أنا فَسَأزِيدُ عَلَيهِ. أدَّبَكُمْ أبِي بِسِياطٍ مِنْ جِلدٍ، أمّا أنا فَسأؤدِّبُكُمْ بِسِياطٍ ذاتِ أطرافٍ حَدِيديَّةٍ!›»

12 S o Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

وَبَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ، رَجعَ يَرُبْعامُ وَكُلُّ الشَّعبِ إلَى رَحُبْعامَ إذْ قالَ لَهُمْ: «عُودُوا إلَيَّ بَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ.»

13 T he king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders.

فَتَكَلَّمَ إلَيْهِمْ بِطَرِيقَةٍ قاسِيَةٍ، تارِكاً نَصِيحَةَ الشُّيُوخِ.

14 H e spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “ My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

فَقالَ لَهُمْ ما نَصَحَهُ الشُّبّانُ بِهِ: «فَرَضَ أبِي عَلَيكُمْ حِملاً ثَقِيلاً، أمّا أنا فَسَأزِيدُ عَلَيهِ. أدَّبَكُمْ أبِي بِسِياطٍ مِنْ جِلدٍ، أمّا أنا فَسأؤدِّبُكُمْ بِسِياطٍ ذاتِ أطرافٍ حَدِيديَّةٍ!»

15 S o the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِبِ المَلِكُ لِطَلَبِ الشَّعبِ. وَقَدْ تَسَبَّبَ اللهُ فِي حُدُوثِ هَذا الأمْرِ لِكَي يَفِيَ اللهُ بِالوَعْدِ الَّذِي قَطَعَهُ لِيَرُبْعامَ بْنِ نَباطَ عَلَى فَمِ النَّبِيِّ أخِيّا الشِّيلُونِيِّ.

16 W hen all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them the people answered the king, saying, “ What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel; Now look after your own house, David.” So all Israel departed to their tents.

وَرَأى كُلُّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ أنَّ المَلِكَ الجَدِيدَ لَمْ يَسْتَمِعْ إلَيْهِمْ. فَقالُوا لِلمَلِكِ: «ما لَنا وَلِعائِلَةِ داوُدَ؟ ألَنا أيُّ مِيراثٍ فِي أرْضِ يَسَّى؟ فَلْنَذْهَبْ، نَحنُ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، كُلُّ واحِدٍ إلَى بَيتِهِ. وَلْنَدَعِ ابْنَ داوُدَ يَحْكُمْ جَماعَتَهُ!» فَذَهَبَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ إلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ.

17 B ut as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

فَلَمْ يَعُدْ رَحُبْعامُ يَحْكُمُ إلّا بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ السّاكِنِينَ فِي مُدُنِ يَهُوذا.

18 T hen King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

وَكانَ هَدُورامُ أحَدَ المُشرِفِينَ عَلَى العُمّالِ. فَأرْسَلَهُ رَحُبْعامُ لِيَتَحَدَّثَ إلَى الشَّعبِ. لَكِنَّهُمْ رَجَمُوهُ حَتَّى المَوتِ. فَأسْرَعَ المَلِكُ رَحُبْعامُ إلَى مَرْكَبَتِهِ وَهَرَبَ إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ.

19 S o Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

فَتَمَرَّدَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ عَلَى عائِلَةِ داوُدَ، وَمازالُوا كَذَلِكَ إلَى هَذا اليَومِ.