SARAH
《列王纪上》第12章
1 Kings Chapter 12
所罗门死了以后，他儿子罗波安要接着当王。
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam was going to succeed him as king.
那时候，以色列的老百姓都聚集到示剑，准备拥立罗波安做王。
At that time, all the people of Israel gathered at Shechem, preparing to make Rehoboam king.
这时候，之前因为躲避所罗门而逃到埃及的耶罗波安也回来了。
At this time, Jeroboam, who had previously fled to Egypt to escape from Solomon, also returned.
百姓把耶罗波安叫来，和他一起去见罗波安，对罗波安说：
The people called Jeroboam and went with him to see Rehoboam, saying to him:
“你父亲所罗门以前让我们干了很多重活，给我们的负担太重了。
“Your father Solomon made us do a lot of hard labor, and the burden he put on us was too heavy.
现在你要是能把这些苦工和重担减轻一点，我们以后就愿意服侍你。”
Now, if you can lighten these burdens and the hard labor for us, we will be willing to serve you.”
罗波安听完以后说：
After hearing this, Rehoboam said:
“你们先回去，三天以后再来，我再告诉你们怎么办。”
“Go back for now, and come back to me in three days. Then I will tell you what I will do.”
百姓就回去了。
So the people went away.
罗波安先去问了那些以前跟着所罗门、很有经验的老臣。
Rehoboam first went to ask the experienced elders who had served with Solomon.
老臣们告诉他：
The elders told him:
“王啊，如果你今天愿意放低姿态，把老百姓当自己的仆人一样服侍他们，好好说话，让他们觉得你是在帮助他们，那么他们以后就会一直忠于你。”
“King, if you are willing today to humble yourself and serve these people like a servant, speak kindly to them, and let them know that you are helping them, then they will remain loyal to you.”
这其实是个很好的建议。
That was actually very good advice.
可是罗波安没有听。
But Rehoboam did not listen.
罗波安转头又去问那些跟他一起长大的伙伴：
Rehoboam then turned and asked his companions who had grown up with him:
“你们觉得我应该怎么回答这些老百姓？”
“What do you think I should say to these people?”
那些年轻人跟罗波安说：
The young men said to Rehoboam:
“你千万不能让他们觉得你好欺负！
“You must never let them think you are easy to push around!
你就告诉他们：
Just tell them:
‘我父亲让你们干重活，我还要让你们干得更重。
‘My father made you do hard labor, and I will make you work even harder.
我爸爸用鞭子打你们，我要用更厉害的鞭子打你们。’”
My father whipped you with a whip, but I will whip you with an even harsher whip.’”
他们的意思就是：
What they meant was:
“别软，给他们来个下马威，让他们知道王是谁。”
“Don’t be soft. Give them a warning and let them know who the king is.”
罗波安听了以后，觉得这个主意最好。
After hearing this, Rehoboam thought this was the best advice.
三天以后，耶罗波安和老百姓又回来见罗波安。
Three days later, Jeroboam and the people came back to see Rehoboam.
罗波安没有听那些老臣的话，反而非常强硬地对百姓说：
Rehoboam did not listen to the elders. Instead, he spoke very harshly to the people:
“我父亲让你们负重担，我还要给你们加更重的！
“My father put heavy burdens on you, and I will make them even heavier!
我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用更厉害的鞭子打你们！”
My father whipped you with a whip, but I will whip you with an even harsher whip!”
百姓一听，彻底失望了。
When the people heard this, they were completely disappointed.
心想：
They thought:
“完了，这位根本不体谅我们，还想让我们的日子更难过！”
“This is terrible. This king does not care about us at all. He wants to make our lives even harder!”
于是他们直接对罗波安说：
So they said directly to Rehoboam:
“我们跟大卫家还有什么关系？
“What do we have to do with the house of David?
我们跟耶西的儿子也没什么关系！
We have nothing to do with the son of Jesse!
以色列人，回自己的家吧！
People of Israel, go back to your own homes!
大卫家，你自己管自己吧！”
House of David, take care of yourself!”
从这一刻开始，以色列王国就分裂了。
From that moment on, the kingdom of Israel was divided.
罗波安还不服气。
Rehoboam still refused to accept it.
他派负责管理苦工的亚多兰去找以色列人。
He sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to go to the Israelites.
结果百姓直接拿石头把亚多兰打死了。
But the people stoned Adoniram to death.
罗波安一看情况不对，赶紧坐车逃回耶路撒冷。
When Rehoboam saw that things had gone badly, he quickly got into his chariot and fled back to Jerusalem.
于是，以色列北方的支派就不再听从大卫家。
So the northern tribes of Israel no longer followed the house of David.
犹大支派仍然跟着罗波安，便雅悯支派也与犹大站在一起。
The tribe of Judah continued to follow Rehoboam, and the tribe of Benjamin also stood with Judah.
而其他以色列人就拥立耶罗波安做王。
The rest of the Israelites made Jeroboam their king.
所以，从那开始：
So from that time on:
南边：犹大国——罗波安作王。
The southern kingdom: Judah — Rehoboam was king.
北边：以色列国——耶罗波安作王。
The northern kingdom: Israel — Jeroboam was king.
罗波安不甘心。
Rehoboam was not willing to accept this.
他召集犹大和便雅悯的军队，一共十八万精兵，准备去攻打以色列，把整个国家重新夺回来。
He gathered the armies of Judah and Benjamin, a total of 180,000 fighting men, and prepared to attack Israel and take the whole kingdom back.
但是神派神人示玛雅告诉罗波安：
But God sent the man of God Shemaiah to tell Rehoboam:
“你们不要去跟自己的弟兄以色列人打仗。
“Do not go and fight against your brothers, the Israelites.
都回家去吧！
Go back to your homes!
因为这事出于我。”
For this thing is from Me.”
罗波安和百姓听见神的话以后，就没有继续打仗，回去了。
After Rehoboam and the people heard the word of God, they did not continue the war, but went back home.
耶罗波安当上北国的王以后，开始琢磨：
After Jeroboam became king of the northern kingdom, he began to think:
“要是老百姓以后还是经常去耶路撒冷敬拜神，他们慢慢就会重新支持罗波安。
“If the people continue going to Jerusalem to worship God, little by little they will support Rehoboam again.
到时候他们可能把我杀掉，再回到罗波安那里。”
Then they may kill me and return to Rehoboam.”
耶罗波安因为害怕失去王位，开始想办法控制老百姓的信仰。
Because Jeroboam was afraid of losing his throne, he began looking for ways to control the people’s worship.
于是，他铸造了两个金牛犊。
So he made two golden calves.
然后对老百姓说：
Then he said to the people:
“以色列人啊，你们不用再大老远跑到耶路撒冷去了。
“People of Israel, you do not need to travel all the way to Jerusalem anymore.
看，这就是带你们出埃及的神！”
Look, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
他把一个金牛犊放在伯特利，另一个放在但。
He placed one golden calf in Bethel and the other in Dan.
百姓就开始在那里拜金牛犊。
The people began worshiping the golden calves there.
圣经直接说：
The Bible directly says:
“这事就成为罪。”
“This thing became a sin.”
耶罗波安还在各地建祭坛。
Jeroboam also built altars in various places.
他没有按照神原来的规定使用利未支派的祭司，而是从百姓中自己选人做祭司。
He did not follow God’s instructions by using priests from the tribe of Levi. Instead, he appointed people from among the Israelites to serve as priests.
然后他自己规定一个节日，定在八月十五日。
Then he established a festival of his own and set it for the fifteenth day of the eighth month.
他自己上祭坛献祭、烧香，还在伯特利向自己造的金牛犊献祭。
He went up to the altar himself to offer sacrifices and burn incense, and he also offered sacrifices to the golden calf he had made at Bethel.
表面上看起来，他好像是在带领百姓敬拜神。
On the surface, it looked as though he was leading the people in worshiping God.
但是实际上，他已经改变了神所规定的敬拜方式。
But in reality, he had changed the way God had commanded His people to worship.