The First of Kings
12 Re·ho·bo′am go She′chem, because all Israel people don come She′chem to make-am king. 2 As Jer·o·bo′am wey be the son of Ne′bat just hear this one, (e be de live for Egypt and e still dey for there because e be run comot because of King Sol′o·mon), 3 them send some people make them go call-am come. After that one, Jer·o·bo′am and all Israel people come meet Re·ho·bo′am and talk say: 4 “Your papa give us heavy load to carry,* but if you make the hard work wey your papa give us easy pass as e dey now, and reduce the heavy load* wey e put for our neck, we go serve you.”
5 So e tell them say: “Make una go, after three days, make una come back come meet me.” So the people comot. 6 Then King Re·ho·bo′am talk with the old men* wey be don serve im papa Sol′o·mon when e dey alive, and e ask them say: “Which advice una go fit give me wey I fit use answer this people?” 7 Them answer-am say: “If you make yourself servant to this people today, and you do wetin them want, and you answer them well, them go always be your servants.”
8 But, e no gree follow the advice wey the old men* don give-am. E come talk with the young men wey them grow up together and wey don be im servants now. 9 E ask them say: “Wetin una go advice make we answer this people wey de tell me say, ‘Reduce the heavy load* wey your papa put for our neck’?” 10 The young men wey grow up together with-am tell-am say: “This na wetin you go tell this people wey don tell you say, ‘Your papa give us heavy load to carry,* but make you reduce-am’; this na wetin you go tell them, ‘My small finger go big pass my papa hips. 11 My papa put heavy load ontop una, but I go add join una load.* My papa flog una with ordinary cane,* but I go flog una with cane* wey get chuku-chuku.’”
12 Jer·o·bo′am and all the people come meet Re·ho·bo′am for the third day, just as the king be tell them say: “Make una come back come meet me for the third day.” 13 But the king answer the people with vex, and e no follow the advice wey the old men* don give-am. 14 E tell them wetin the young men don advice-am to talk. E talk say: “My papa make una load heavy, but I go add join una load. My papa flog una with ordinary cane, but I go flog una with cane wey get chuku-chuku.” 15 So the king no listen to the people, because na Jehovah make things change like this, so that wetin Jehovah don use A·hi′jah wey be Shi′loh person tell Jer·o·bo′am the son of Ne′bat go fit happen.
16 When all Israel people see say the king no gree listen to them, the people tell the king say: “Wetin we get to do with David? We no get anything wey we go gain from the son of Jes′se. Israel people, make una go meet una gods. Now David, make you take care of your own family!”* Na so Israel people take go their different-different house.* 17 But Re·ho·bo′am continue to rule Israel people wey de live for the cities wey dey Judah.
18 Then King Re·ho·bo′am send A·do′ram wey de control the people wey the king don command to work for-am, but all Israel people stone A·do′ram till e die. King Re·ho·bo′am just manage climb im chariot and e run go Jerusalem. 19 And Israel people don dey against the family* of David from that time till today.
20 As all Israel people just hear say Jer·o·bo′am don come back, them call-am come where all the people don gather and them make-am king to rule all Israel people. Nobody support the family* of David, except the tribe of Judah.
21 When Re·ho·bo′am reach Jerusalem, quick-quick, e gather all the people for the tribe of Judah and Benjamin to fight Israel people so that Re·ho·bo′am wey be the son of Sol′o·mon go fit de rule them again. Them be 180,000 soldiers wey them don train.* 22 Then the true God talk to She·mai′ah wey be the man of the true God say: 23 “Make you tell Re·ho·bo′am wey be the son of Sol′o·mon the king of Judah, and everybody for the tribe of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people say, 24 ‘This na wetin Jehovah talk: “Israel people na una brothers, make una no go fight them. Make each of una go back to im house, because na me make-am happen like this.”’” So them obey the word of Jehovah and go back to their house, just as Jehovah don tell them.
25 Jer·o·bo′am come build She′chem again* for the area wey mountain dey for E′phra·im and e live for there. From there e comot go build Pe·nu′el again.* 26 Jer·o·bo′am talk for im heart say: “Now the kingdom go come back to the family* of David. 27 If this people continue to go up to go do sacrifice for the house of Jehovah wey dey for Jerusalem, their heart too go go back to their lord, King Re·ho·bo′am for Judah. Yes, them go kill me and go back go meet King Re·ho·bo′am for Judah.” 28 After the king don ask for advice, e use gold make two image of small cows, and e tell the people say: “E too hard for una to de go up to Jerusalem. Israel people, see una God wey bring una come out from the land of Egypt.” 29 Then e put one for Beth′el, and e put the second one for Dan. 30 And this one make them sin, and the people de travel go far go reach Dan to worship the image wey dey for there.
31 And e build different-different house of worship for the high place* them, and e choose some people to be priests from among all the people, people wey no be Levites. 32 Jer·o·bo′am still start one festival for the eighth month, for the 15th day of the month, like the festival wey them de do for Judah. E de do sacrifice for the image of small cows wey e don make for the altar wey e build for Beth′el, and e choose priests for the high place them wey e don build for Beth′el. 33 And e start to do offerings for the altar wey e don build for Beth′el for the 15th day of the eighth month, for the month wey e don choose by imself; e start one festival for Israel people, and e climb the altar to do offerings and to make sacrifice smoke.