¹Zvino Rehobhoamu wakaenda Shekemu, nekuti vaIsiraeri vose vakanga vaungana paShekemu kuzomuita mambo.

¹Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

²Zvino Jerobhoamu mwanakomana waNebhati, wakati achizvinzwa (nokuti wakange achiri Egipita kwaakanga atizira nokuda kwaSoromoni, Jerobhoamu akagara Egipita,

²It happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt,

³vakatuma nhume kundomudana;) Jerobhoamu neungano yose yavaIsiraeri vakasvika vakataura naRehobhoamu, vakati,

³and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴Baba venyu vakatitakudza joko rinogozha; naizvozvo zvino imwi chirerutsai basa rababa venyu rakanga richigozha; nejoko ravo rinorema ravakaisa pamusoro pedu, tigokushumirai.

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

⁵Iye akati kwavari, Chimboendai henyu, mugare mazuva matatu, mugodzokera kwandiri. Vanhu vakaenda.

⁵He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” The people departed.

⁶Ipapo mambo Rehobhoamu akarangana navakuru, vaimira pamberi paSoromoni baba vake, vachiri vapenyu akati, Mungandipa zano reiko, randingapindura vanhu ava naro?

⁶King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?”

⁷Ivo vakataura kwaari vakati, Kana mukatenda kuva muranda wavanhu ava nhasi, mukavashumira, mukavapindura nokutaura mashoko akanaka kwavari, ipapo vachava varanda venyu nokusingaperi.

⁷They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

⁸Asi iye wakaramba zano ravakuru ravakanga vamupa, akarangana namajaya ezero rake, aimira pamberi pake.

⁸But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

⁹Akati kwavari, Imi mungandipa zano reiko, ratingapindura naro vanhu ava vakataura neni, vachiti, Rerusai joko rakaiswa pamusoro pedu nababa venyu?

⁹He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?’”

¹⁰Zvino majaya ezero rake akataura kwaari achiti, Iti kuvanhu ava vakataura newe vachiti, Baba venyu vakatitakudza joko rinogozha, asi imwi chitirerusirai iro, utaure kwavari uti, Mumwe wangu muduku mukobvu kupfuura chiuno chababa vangu.

¹⁰The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall tell this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

¹¹Zvino, baba vangu zvavakakutakudzai joko rinorema, ini ndichawedzera pajoko renyu, baba vangu vaikurovai neshamhu; asi ini ndichakurovai nezvinyavada.

¹¹Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”

¹²Naizvozvo Jerobhoamu navanhu vose vakasvika kunaRehobhoamu nomusi wetatu, sezvavakanga varairwa namambo, achiti, Dzokeraizve kwandiri nomusi wetatu.

¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”

¹³Mambo akapindura vanhu nehasha, akarasha zano ravakuru, ravakanga vamupa;

¹³The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

¹⁴akataura kwavari sezvaakanga apiwa zano namaj aya, akati, Baba vangu vakakutakudzai joko rinorema, asi ini ndichawedzera pajoko renyu; baba vangu vaikurovai neshamhu, asi ini ndichakurovai nezvinyavada.

¹⁴and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”

¹⁵Naizvozvo mambo haana kuteerera vanhu; nekuti chinhu icho chakanga chabva kuna Jehovha, kuti Jehovha asimbise shoko rake, raakataura naAhija muShiro kuna Jerobhoamu mwanakomana waNebhati.

¹⁵So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶Zvino vaIsiraeri vose vakati vachiona kuti mambo haana kuvateerera, vanhu vakapindura mambo vakati, Tinomugove weiko kuna Dhavhidhi? Uye hatine nhaka kumwanakomana waJese; endai kumatende enyu, vaIsiraeri; iwe Dhavhidhi, chitarira hako imba yako. Naizvozvo vaIsiraeri vakaenda kumatende avo.

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? Neither do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.

¹⁷Asi kana vari vana vaIsiraeri, vakanga vagere mumaguta aJudha, Rehobhoamu wakange ari mambo wavo.

¹⁷But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸Zvino mambo Rehobhoamu akatuma Adhoramu mutariri wavanhu vechibharo, vaIsiraeri vose vakamutaka namabwe, akafa. Ipapo mambo Rehobhoamu akakurumidza kukwira ngoro yake, akatizira Jerusaremu.

¹⁸Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹Saizvozvo vaIsiraeri vakamukira imba yaDhavhidhi kusvikira zuva ranhasi.

¹⁹So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

²⁰Zvino vaIsiraeri vose vakati vachinzwa kuti Jerobhoamu wadzoka, vakatuma nhume kuzomudanira kuungano, vakamuita mambo wavaIsiraeri vose; hakuna wakatevera imba yaDhavhidhi, asi rudzi rwaJudha chete.

²⁰It happened, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

²¹Zvino Rehobhoamu wakati achisvika Jerusaremu, akaunganidza vose veimba yaJudha, novorudzi rwaBhenjamini, varume vakatsaurwa vaiva nezviuru zvine zana namakumi masere, vaigona kurwa, kuzorwa neimba yaIsiraeri, kuti vadzoserezve ushe kuna Rehobhoamu mwanakomana waSoromoni.

²¹When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

²²Asi shoko raMwari rakasvika kuna Shemaya munhu waMwari richiti,

²²But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

²³Taura naRehobhoamu mwanakomana waSoromoni, mambo wavaJudha, nokuimba yose yaJudha neyaBhenjamini, nokuna vamwe vanhu, uti,

²³“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

²⁴Zvanzi naJehovha, Hamufaniri kukwira kundorwa nehama dzenyu ivo vana vaIsiraeri; mumwe nomumwe ngaadzokere kumba kwake, nekuti chinhu ichi chinobva kwandiri. Naizvozvo vakateerera shoko raJehovha, vakadzoka, vakaenda havo, sezvavakaudzwa naJehovha.

²⁴‘Thus says Yahweh, “You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is of me.”’” So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned and went their way, according to the word of Yahweh.

²⁵Ipapo Jerobhoamu wakavaka Shekemu panyika yamakomo yaEfuremu, akagaramo; akabvapo, akandovaka Penueri.

²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.

²⁶Jerobhoamu akati mumoyo make, Zvino ushe huchadzokerazve kuimba yaDhavhidhi.

²⁶Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

²⁷Kana vanhu ava vakakwira kundobayira zvibayiro zvavo mumba maJehovha paJerusaremu, ipapo moyo yavanhu ava ichadzokera kunashe wavo, iye Rehobhoamu mambo waJudha; vachandiuraya, vakadzokera kuna Rehobhoamu mambo waJudha.

²⁷If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

²⁸Naizvozvo mambo akarangana navakuru, akaumba mhuru mbiri dzendarama, akati kwavari, Kukwira Jerusaremu kwava kure; tarirai, vaIsiraeri, vamwari venyu vakakubudisai panyika yeEgipita.

²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

²⁹Akagadza imwe paBheteri, imwe akaiisa paDhani.

²⁹He set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

³⁰Chinhu ichi chikava chivi, nekuti vanhu vakandonamata kwadziri idzo mbiri, kusvikira paDhani.

³⁰This thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan.

³¹Akavakawo dzimba pamatunhu akakwirira, akatora vamwe pakati pavanhu akavaita vapristi, vasati vari vavana vaRevhi.

³¹He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

³²Zvino Jerobhoamu akaraira mutambo pamwedzi worusere, nezuva regumi namashanu romwedzi, wakange wakafanana nomutambo waiva kuvaJudha; akabayira paaritari; akaitawo saizvozvo paBheteri, akabayira mhuru dzaakaumba; akagadzawo paBheteri vapristi vamatunhu akakwirira aakaita.

³²Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; he did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.

³³Akandobayira paaritari yaakavaka paBheteri nezuva regumi namashanu romwedzi worusere, iwo mwedzi waakafunga hake mumoyo make; akaraira vana valsiraeri mutambo, akandobayira paaritari, akapisa zvinonhuhwira.

³³He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.