¹Zvino Rehobhoamu akaenda Shekemi, nekuti vaIsiraeri vose vakanga vaungana paShekemi kuzomuita mambo.

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

²Zvino Jerobhoami mwanakomana waNebhati, akati achizvinzwa (nokuti akanga achiri Egipita kwaakanga atizira nokuda kwaSoromoni,) Jerobhoami ndokudzoka achibva Egipita.

²It happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

³Vakatuma nhume kundomudana; Jerobhoami navaIsiraeri vose vakasvika vakataura naRehobhoamu, vakati,

³They sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴Baba venyu vakatitakudza joko rinogozha; naizvozvo zvino imwi chirerusai 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, Dzokeraizve kwandiri kana mazuva matatu apera. Vanhu vakaenda.

⁵He said to them, “Come again to me after three days.” The people departed.

⁶papo 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 mukaitira vanhu ava nomoyo wakanaka, nokuvafadza, nokutaura mashoko akanaka kwavari, ipapo vachava varanda venyu nokusingaperi.

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

⁸Asi iye wakaramba zano ravakuru, ravakamupa, akarangana namajaya ezero rake, akanga achimira 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, akati, 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 the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus 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 Jerobhoami navanhu vose vakasvika kuna Rehobhoamu nezuva retatu, sezvavakanga varairwa namambo, achiti, Dzokerai kwandirizve nezuva retatu.

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 akavapindura nehasha; mambo Rehobhoamu akarasha zano ravakuru,

¹³The king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

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

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

¹⁵Naizvozvo mambo haana kuteerera vanhu; nekuti zvakanga zvabva kuna Mwari, kuti Jehovha asimbise shoko rake, raakataura naAhija muShiro kuna Jerobhoami mwanakomana waNebhati.

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

¹⁶Zvino vaIsiraeri vose vakati vachiona kuti mambo haana kuvateerera, vanhu vakapindura mambo, vakati, Tino mugove weiko kuna Dhavhidhi? Uye hatine nhaka kumwanakomana weJese; endai henyu munhu mumwe nomumwe kutende rake, imwi Isiraeri! Zvino Dhavhidhi, chitarira hako imba yako. Naizvozvo valsiraeri vose 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 have we inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel departed to their tents.

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

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

¹⁸Zvino mambo Rehobhoamu akatuma Hadhorami mutariri wavanhu vechibharo, vana vaIsiraeri vakamutaka namabwe, akafa. Ipapo mambo Rehobhoamu akachimbidzika kukwira ngoro yake, akatizira Jerusaremu.

¹⁸Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam made speed to get himself 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.