I Kings 12

vayyelekh rekhavam shekhem ki shekhem ba khol-yisra'el lehamelikh oto

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to acclaim him as king.

vayehi kishmoa yarovam ben-nevat vehu odennu vemitsrayim asher barakh mippene hammelekh shelomoh vayyeshev yarovam bemitsrayim

Jeroboam son of Nebat learned of it while he was still in Egypt; for Jeroboam had fled from King Solomon, and had settled in Egypt.

vayyishlekhu vayyiqre'u-lo (vyvv) [vayyavo] yarovam vekhol-qehal yisra'el vayedabberu el-rekhavam lemor

They sent for him; and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam as follows:

avikha hiqshah et-ullenu ve'attah attah haqel me'avodat avikha haqqashah ume'ullo hakkaved asher-natan alenu vena'avdekka

“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke that your father laid on us, and we will serve you.”

vayyomer alehem lekhu-od sheloshah yamim veshuvu elay vayyelekhu ha'am

He answered them, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

vayyivva'ats hammelekh rekhavam et-hazzeqenim asher-hayu omedim et-pene shelomoh aviv bihyoto khay lemor ekh attem no'atsim lehashiv et-ha'am-hazzeh davar

King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. He said, “What answer do you advise [me] to give to this people?”

(vydvr) [vayedabberu] elayw lemor im-hayyom tihyeh-eved la'am hazzeh va'avadtam va'anitam vedibbarta alehem devarim tovim vehayu lekha avadim kol-hayyamim

They answered him, “If you will be a servant to those people today and serve them, and if you respond to them with kind words, they will be your servants always.”

vayya'azov et-atsat hazzeqenim asher ye'atsuhu vayyivva'ats et-hayeladim asher godlu itto asher ha'omedim lefanayw

But he ignored the advice that the elders gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

vayyomer alehem mah attem no'atsim venashiv davar et-ha'am hazzeh asher dibberu elay lemor haqel min-ha'ol asher-natan avikha alenu

“What,” he asked, “do you advise that we reply to the people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father placed upon us’?”

vayedabberu elayw hayeladim asher godlu itto lemor koh-tomar la'am hazzeh asher dibberu elekha lemor avikha hikhbid et-ullenu ve'attah haqel me'alenu koh tedabber alehem qotonni avah mimmotne avi

And the young men who had grown up with him answered, “Speak thus to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us.’ Say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.

ve'attah avi hemis alekhem ol kaved va'ani osif al-ullekhem avi yissar etkhem bashotim va'ani ayasser etkhem ba'aqrabbim

My father imposed a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I will flog you with scorpions.’”

vayyavo yarovam vekhol-ha'am el-rekhavam bayyom hashelishi ka'asher dibber hammelekh lemor shuvu elay bayyom hashelishi

Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, since the king had told them: “Come back on the third day.”

vayya'an hammelekh et-ha'am qashah vayya'azov et-atsat hazzeqenim asher ye'atsuhu

The king answered the people harshly, ignoring the advice that the elders had given him.

vayedabber alehem ka'atsat hayeladim lemor avi hikhbid et-ullekhem va'ani osif al-ullekhem avi yissar etkhem bashotim va'ani ayasser etkhem ba'aqrabbim

He spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, and said, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I will flog you with scorpions.”

velo-shama hammelekh el-ha'am ki-hayetah sibbah me'im Adonai lema'an haqim et-devaro asher dibber Adonai beyad akhiyyah hashiloni el-yarovam ben-nevat

(The king did not listen to the people; for GOD had brought it about in order to fulfill the promise that GOD had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.)

vayyar kol-yisra'el ki lo-shama hammelekh alehem vayyashivu ha'am et-hammelekh davar lemor mah-llanu kheleq bedavid velo-nakhalah beven-yishay le'ohalekha yisra'el attah re'eh vetekha david vayyelekh yisra'el le'ohalayw

When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king: “We have no portion in David, No share in Jesse’s son! To your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own House, O David.” So the Israelites returned to their homes.

uvene yisra'el hayyoshevim be'are yehudah vayyimlokh alehem rekhavam

But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.

vayyishlakh hammelekh rekhavam et-adoram asher al-hammas vayyirgemu khol-yisra'el bo even vayyamot vehammelekh rekhavam hitammets la'alot bammerkavah lanus yerushalai͏m

King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel pelted him to death with stones. Thereupon King Rehoboam hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.

vayyifshe'u yisra'el bevet david ad hayyom hazzeh

Thus Israel revolted against the House of David, as is still the case.

vayehi kishmoa kol-yisra'el ki-shav yarovam vayyishlekhu vayyiqre'u oto el-ha'edah vayyamlikhu oto al-kol-yisra'el lo hayah akhare vet-david zulati shevet-yehudah levaddo

When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent messengers and summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the House of David.

(vyvv) [vayyavo] rekhavam yerushalai͏m vayyaqhel et-kol-bet yehudah ve'et-shevet binyamin me'ah ushemonim elef bakhur oseh milkhamah lehillakhem im-bet yisra'el lehashiv et-hammelukhah lirkhavam ben-shelomoh

On his return to Jerusalem, Rehoboam mustered all the House of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 of the best warriors, to fight against the House of Israel, in order to restore the kingship to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

vayehi devar ha'elohim el-shemayah ish-ha'elohim lemor

But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the agent of God:

emor el-rekhavam ben-shelomoh melekh yehudah ve'el-kol-bet yehudah uvinyamin veyeter ha'am lemor

“Say to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all the House of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people:

koh amar Adonai lo-ta'alu velo-tillakhamun im-akhekhem bene-yisra'el shuvu ish leveto ki me'itti nihyah haddavar hazzeh vayyishme'u et-devar Adonai vayyashuvu lalekhet kidvar Adonai

Thus said GOD: You shall not set out to make war on your kindred the Israelites. Return to your homes, for this thing has been brought about by Me.” They heeded the word of GOD and turned back, in accordance with the word of GOD.

vayyiven yarovam et-shekhem behar efrayim vayyeshev bah vayyetse misham vayyiven et-penu'el

Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and resided there; he moved out from there and fortified Penuel.

vayyomer yarovam belibbo attah tashuv hammamlakhah levet david

Jeroboam said to himself, “Now the kingdom may well return to the House of David.

im-ya'aleh ha'am hazzeh la'asot zevakhim bevet-Adonai birushalai͏m veshav lev ha'am hazzeh el-adonehem el-rekhavam melekh yehudah vaharaguni veshavu el-rekhavam melekh-yehudah

If these people still go up to offer sacrifices at the House of GOD in Jerusalem, the heart of these people will turn back to their master, King Rehoboam of Judah; they will kill me and go back to King Rehoboam of Judah.”

vayyivva'ats hammelekh vayya'as shene egle zahav vayyomer alehem rav-lakhem me'alot yerushalai͏m hinneh elohekha yisra'el asher he'elukha me'erets mitsrayim

So the king took counsel and made two golden calves. He said to the people, “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

vayyasem et-ha'ekhad bevet-el ve'et-ha'ekhad natan bedan

He set up one in Bethel and placed the other in Dan.

vayehi haddavar hazzeh lekhattat vayyelekhu ha'am lifne ha'ekhad ad-dan

That proved to be a cause of guilt, for the people went to worship [the calf at Bethel and] the one at Dan.

vayya'as et-bet bamot vayya'as kohanim miqtsot ha'am asher lo-hayu mibbene levi

He also made cult places and appointed priests from the ranks of the people who were not of Levite descent.

vayya'as yarovam khag bakhodesh hashemini vakhamisha-asar yom lakhodesh kekhag asher bihudah vayya'al al-hammizbeakh ken asah bevet-el lezabbeakh la'agalim asher-asah vehe'emid bevet el et-kohane habbamot asher asah

He stationed at Bethel the priests of the shrines that he had appointed to sacrifice to the calves that he had made. And Jeroboam established a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month; in imitation of the festival in Judah, he established one at Bethel, and he ascended the altar [there].

vayya'al al-hammizbeakh asher-asah bevet-el bakhamisha asar yom bakhodesh hashemini bakhodesh asher-bada (mlvd) [millibbo] vayya'as khag livne yisra'el vayya'al al-hammizbeakh lehaqtir

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month—the month in which he had contrived of his own mind to establish a festival for the Israelites—Jeroboam ascended the altar that he had made in Bethel. As he ascended the altar to present an offering,