1 Raja-raja 12

Bagian: Israel terpecah menjadi dua kerajaan

1 Beginilah kisah penobatan Rehabeam. Rehabeam pergi ke kota Sikem karena semua orang Israel sudah berkumpul di sana untuk menobatkan dia menjadi raja. 2 Dari tempat pengungsiannya di Mesir, Yerobeam anak Nebat mendengar kabar bahwa Salomo sudah mati dan anaknya akan diangkat menjadi raja. Para kepala suku Israel memanggil Yerobeam. Jadi, dia pun segera kembali dari Mesir. Lalu mereka bersama-sama menghadap Raja Rehabeam dan berkata kepadanya, 4 “Salomo, ayah Tuan, sudah membebani rakyat sangat berat dengan kerja keras dan pajak yang tinggi. Karena itu, mohon ringankanlah beban kami, dan kami akan setia melayani Tuan.” 5 Rehabeam menjawab, “Tiga hari lagi saya akan memberikan jawaban. Sekarang pergilah dulu.” Maka mereka pun pergi. 6 Kemudian Raja Rehabeam membahas masalah itu dengan orang-orang tua yang dulu menjadi penasihat ayahnya. Dia bertanya, “Apa nasihat kalian untuk menjawab permintaan rakyat Israel?” 7 Mereka menjawab, “Jika Tuan mau melayani rakyat dengan baik, mengabdi untuk rakyat, dan memberikan jawaban yang menyenangkan, pasti mereka akan selalu setia kepada Tuan.” 8 Tetapi Rehabeam menolak nasihat para penasihat lama itu dan justru meminta pendapat dari orang-orang muda yang sebaya dengan dia, yang sudah diangkat menjadi penasihatnya. 9 Tanya Rehabeam, “Apa nasihat kalian untuk menjawab rakyat yang meminta saya meringankan beban yang diberikan ayah kepada mereka?” 10 Para penasihat muda itu menjawab, “Katakanlah begini kepada orang-orang yang meminta keringanan: Ayah tidak ada apa-apanya dibanding saya. 11 Kalau ayah saya memberikan beban berat kepada kalian, saya akan memberikan yang lebih berat lagi. Dia menghajar kalian dengan cambuk, saya akan memakai cambuk berduri besi!” 12 Sesuai perintah raja, tiga hari kemudian Yerobeam dan yang lainnya kembali menghadap. 13 Raja menjawab mereka dengan kasar karena dia menolak nasihat dari para tua-tua. 14 Rehabeam mengikuti nasihat orang-orang muda tadi dan berkata, “Ayah saya memberikan beban berat kepada kalian, tetapi saya akan memberikan yang lebih berat lagi. Dia menghajar kalian dengan cambuk, tetapi saya akan memakai cambuk berduri besi!” 15 Seluruh umat Israel menyadari bahwa raja yang baru tidak mau mendengarkan mereka. Maka mereka berteriak,
“Tidak ada untungnya kita mendukung keluarga Daud!
Tidak ada gunanya mengikuti pemerintahan Daud!
Ayo, rakyat Israel, kita pulang saja!
Hai keluarga Daud, mulai sekarang uruslah dirimu sendiri!”
Kemudian Raja Rehabeam mengutus Adoram (kepala mandor buruh kasar) untuk menenangkan rakyat, tetapi mereka melempari dia dengan batu sampai mati. Lalu Rehabeam cepat-cepat naik ke keretanya dan melarikan diri ke Yerusalem.
Orang Israel pulang ke rumahnya masing-masing, dan hanya rakyat Israel di wilayah Yehuda yang masih mau tunduk kepada Rehabeam. Hal itu terjadi sesuai dengan kehendak TUHAN. Karena TUHAN hendak mewujudkan perkataan-Nya yang sudah disampaikan Nabi Ahia kepada Yerobeam. 19 Demikianlah awalnya suku-suku Israel memberontak terhadap keluarga Daud, dan keadaan masih seperti itu sampai waktu kitab ini ditulis. 20 Ketika orang-orang Israel mendengar bahwa Yerobeam sudah kembali dari Mesir, mereka mengundang dia ke suatu pertemuan, dan di situ mereka mengangkat dia menjadi raja Israel. Hanya suku Yehuda yang tetap menganggap keturunan Daud sebagai raja mereka.

Bagian: Pesan TUHAN untuk Rehabeam

21 Ketika Rehabeam tiba di Yerusalem, dia mengumpulkan 180.000 orang tentara dari suku Yehuda dan Benyamin untuk berperang melawan Israel dan memulihkan kembali kekuasaannya atas suku-suku di bagian utara. 22 Tetapi Allah mengutus Nabi Semaya, 23 “Sampaikanlah kepada Rehabeam anak Salomo, raja Yehuda, dan kepada semua orang dari suku Yehuda dan Benyamin: 24 TUHAN berkata, ‘Jangan menyerang saudara-saudaramu orang Israel. Pulanglah ke rumahmu masing-masing, karena semua yang terjadi ini adalah kehendak-Ku.’”
Maka mereka mematuhi perintah TUHAN dan pulang.

Bagian: Yerobeam menjadi raja Israel utara dan mengajak rakyatnya untuk menyembah berhala

25 Kemudian Yerobeam membangun kota Sikem di pegunungan Efraim. Dia tinggal di sana beberapa waktu. Dari situ dia pindah dan membangun kota Penuel. 26 Suatu hari Yerobeam mulai berpikir, “Semua orang Israel masih pergi mempersembahkan kurban di rumah TUHAN di Yerusalem. Kalau seperti itu, bisa-bisa mereka kembali menghormati tuan mereka yang semula, Rehabeam raja Yehuda. Jangan-jangan mereka akan membunuh aku dan berbalik kepada Rehabeam.” 28 Sesudah mempertimbangkan hal itu dengan para penasihatnya, Yerobeam membuat dua patung anak sapi jantan dari emas dan berkata kepada rakyatnya, “Sudah cukup lama kalian selalu pergi ke Yerusalem untuk beribadah. Mulai sekarang tidak perlu lagi, karena dewa-dewamu yang membawa kalian keluar dari Mesir ada di sini!” 29 Dia menempatkan satu patung di kota Betel di bagian selatan Israel, dan yang satunya di kota Dan di bagian utara. 30 Hal ini merupakan dosa besar bagi bangsa Israel, karena mereka menyembah patung anak sapi emas itu di kota Betel dan kota Dan. 31 Yerobeam juga membangun berbagai tempat pengurbanan lain di atas bukit-bukit, serta mengangkat orang-orang sebagai imam yang bukan berasal dari keturunan Lewi. 32 Dia menetapkan hari raya sendiri, yaitu tanggal lima belas bulan kedelapan, seperti Hari Raya Pondok di Yehuda, supaya rakyatnya tidak lagi berurusan dengan kerajaan Daud.
Pada tanggal lima belas bulan kedelapan di tahun itu, Yerobeam mengadakan perayaan besar di Betel bersama rakyat Israel. Dia naik ke mezbah dan mempersembahkan kurban kepada patung anak sapi buatannya. Lalu dia melantik orang-orang yang dipilihnya sebagai imam, dan menugaskan mereka masing-masing supaya ada imam di setiap tempat pengurbanan.

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 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; 3 and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” So the people departed. 6 King 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 answer these people?” 7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned 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. 9 He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, 14 and 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.” 15 So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t 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. 17 But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day. 20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only. 21 When 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. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 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, 24 ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to Yahweh’s word, and returned and went their way, according to Yahweh’s word. 25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. 27 If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house 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.” 28 So 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 behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 29 He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there. 31 He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam 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. 33 He 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.