¹ Or la parte toccata a sorte alla tribù dei figliuoli di Giuda secondo le loro famiglie, si estendeva sino al confine di Edom, al deserto di Tsin verso sud, all’estremità meridionale di Canaan.

² Il loro confine meridionale partiva dall’estremità del mar Salato, dalla lingua che volge a sud,

³ e si prolungava al sud della salita d’Akrabbim, passava per Tsin, poi saliva al sud di Kades-Barnea, passava da Hetsron, saliva verso Addar e si volgeva verso Karkaa;

⁴ passava quindi da Atsmon e continuava fino al torrente d’Egitto, per far capo al mare. Questo sarà, disse Giosuè, il vostro confine meridionale.

⁵ Il confine orientale era il mar Salato, sino alla foce del Giordano. Il confine settentrionale partiva dal braccio di mare ov’è la foce del Giordano;

⁶ di là saliva verso Beth-Hogla, passava al nord di Beth-Araba, saliva fino al sasso di Bohan figliuolo di Ruben;

⁷ poi, partendo dalla valle di Acor, saliva a Debir e si dirigeva verso il nord dal lato di Ghilgal, che è dirimpetto alla salita di Adummim, a sud del torrente; poi passava presso le acque di En-Scemesh, e faceva capo a En-Roghel.

⁸ Di là il confine saliva per la valle di Ben-Hinnom fino al versante meridionale del monte de’ Gebusei che è Gerusalemme, poi s’elevava fino al sommo del monte ch’è dirimpetto alla valle di Hinnom a occidente, e all’estremità della valle dei Refaim, al nord.

⁹ Dal sommo del monte, il confine si estendeva fino alla sorgente delle acque di Neftoah, continuava verso le città del monte Efron, e si prolungava fino a Baala, che è Kiriath-Iearim.

¹⁰ Da Baala volgeva poi a occidente verso la montagna di Seir, passava per il versante settentrionale del monte Iearim, che è Kesalon, scendeva a Beth-Scemesh e passava per Timna.

¹¹ Di là il confine continuava verso il lato settentrionale di Escron, si estendeva verso Scikron, passava per il monte Baala, si prolungava fino a Iabneel, e facea capo al mare.

¹² Il confine occidentale era il mar grande. Tali furono da tutti i lati i confini dei figliuoli di Giuda secondo le loro famiglie.

¹³ A Caleb, figliuolo di Gefunne, Giosuè dette una parte in mezzo ai figliuoli di Giuda, come l’Eterno gli avea comandato, cioè: la città di Arba padre di Anak, la quale è Hebron.

¹⁴ E Caleb ne cacciò i tre figliuoli di Anak, Sceshai, Ahiman e Talmai, discendenti di Anak.

¹⁵ Di là salì contro gli abitanti di Debir, che prima si chiamava Kiriath-Sefer.

¹⁶ E Caleb disse: "A chi batterà Kiriath-Sefer e la prenderà io darò in moglie Acsa mia figliuola".

¹⁷ Allora Otniel, figliuolo di Kenaz, fratello di Caleb la prese, e Caleb gli diede in moglie Acsa sua figliuola.

¹⁸ E quando ella venne a star con lui, persuase Otniel a chiedere un campo a Caleb, suo padre. Essa scese di sull’asino, e Caleb le disse: "Che vuoi?"

¹⁹ E quella rispose: "Fammi un dono; giacché tu m’hai stabilita in una terra arida, dammi anche delle sorgenti d’acqua". Ed egli le donò le sorgenti superiori e le sorgenti sottostanti.

²⁰ Questa è l’eredità della tribù dei figliuoli di Giuda, secondo le loro famiglie:

²¹ Le città poste all’estremità della tribù dei figliuoli di Giuda, verso il confine di Edom, dal lato di mezzogiorno, erano:

²² Kabtseel, Eder, Jagur, Kina, Dimona, Adeada,

²³ Kades, Hatsor, Itnan,

²⁴ Zif, Telem, Bealoth,

²⁵ Hatsor-Hadatta, Kerioth-Hetsron, che è Hatsor,

²⁶ Amam, Scema, Molada,

²⁷ Hatsar-Gadda, Heshmon, Beth-Palet,

²⁸ Hatsar-Shual, Beer-Sceba, Biziotia, Baala, Tim, Atsen,

²⁹ Eltolad, Kesil, Horma,

³⁰ Tsiklag, Madmanna,

³¹ Sansanna,

³² Lebaoth, Scilhim, Ain, Rimmon; in tutto ventinove città e i loro villaggi.

³³ Nella regione bassa: Eshtaol, Tsorea, Ashna,

³⁴ Zanoah, En-Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

³⁵ Iarmuth, Adullam, Soco, Azeka,

³⁶ Shaaraim, Aditaim, Ghedera e Ghederotaim: quattordici città e i loro villaggi;

³⁷ Tsenan, Hadasha, Migdal-Gad,

³⁸ Dilean, Mitspe, Iokteel,

³⁹ Lakis, Botskath, Eglon,

⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish,

⁴¹ Ghederoth, Beth-Dagon, Naama e Makkeda: sedici città e i loro villaggi;

⁴² Libna, Ether, Ashan,

⁴³ Iftah, Ashna, Netsib,

⁴⁴ Keila, Aczib e Maresha: nove città e i loro villaggi;

⁴⁵ Ekron, le città del suo territorio e i suoi villaggi;

⁴⁶ da Ekron e a occidente, tutte le città vicine a Asdod e i loro villaggi;

⁴⁷ Asdod, le città del suo territorio e i suoi villaggi; Gaza, le città del suo territorio e i suoi villaggi fino al torrente d’Egitto e al mar grande, che serve di confine.

⁴⁸ Nella contrada montuosa: Shanoir, Iattir, Soco,

⁴⁹ Danna, Kiriath-Sanna, che è Debir,

⁵⁰ Anab, Esthemo, Anim,

⁵¹ Goscen, Holon e Ghilo: undici città e i loro villaggi;

⁵² Arab, Duma, Escean,

⁵³ Ianum, Beth-Tappuah, Afeka,

⁵⁴ Humta, Kiriath-Arba, che è Hebron, e Tsior: nove città e i loro villaggi;

⁵⁵ Maon, Carmel, Zif, Iuta,

⁵⁶ Iizreel, Iokdeam, Zanoah,

⁵⁷ Kain, Ghibea e Timna: dieci città e i loro villaggi;

⁵⁸ Halhul, Beth-Tsur, Ghedor,

⁵⁹ Maarath, Beth-Anoth e Eltekon: sei città e i loro villaggi;

⁶⁰ Kiriath-Baal che è Kiriath-Iearim, e Rabba: due città e i loro villaggi.

⁶¹ Nel deserto: Beth-Araba, Middin, Secacah,

⁶² Nibshan, Ir-Hammelah e Enghedi: sei città e i loro villaggi.

⁶³ Quanto ai Gebusei che abitavano in Gerusalemme, i figliuoli di Giuda non li poteron cacciare; e i Gebusei hanno abitato coi figliuoli di Giuda in Gerusalemme fino al dì d’oggi.

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

² It 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,

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

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."

⁵ He said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." 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 return answer to this people?"

⁷ They 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."

⁸ But 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.

⁹ He 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 did put on us lighter?'"

¹⁰ The 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.

¹¹ Now 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.'"

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 forsook 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 of 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? 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.

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 made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

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

²⁰ It 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.

²¹ When Rehoboam was 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 '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.

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 the house of David.

²⁷ If 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."

²⁸ Whereupon 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!"

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

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

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; so did he 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.