“ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we’ll serve you.”

“你父亲使我们负重轭，做苦工，现在求你使我们做的苦工、负的重轭轻松些，我们就侍奉你。”

“你父亲使我们负重轭，现在求你减轻你父亲所加给我们的苦工和重轭，我们就服事你。”

“你父亲使我们负重轭，现在求你减轻你父亲所加给我们的苦工和重轭，我们就服事你。”

“你父亲使我们负担沉重，求你减轻我们的负担吧，我们一定效忠你。”

“你父亲加给我们的重担，现在求你减轻你父亲使我们作的苦工和加在我们背上的重担，我们就服事你。”

「你父親使我們負重軛，做苦工，現在求你使我們做的苦工、負的重軛輕鬆些，我們就事奉你。」

「你父親使我們負重軛，現在求你減輕你父親所加給我們的苦工和重軛，我們就服事你。」

「你父親使我們負重軛，現在求你減輕你父親所加給我們的苦工和重軛，我們就服事你。」

「你父親使我們負擔沉重，求你減輕我們的負擔吧，我們一定效忠你。」

“你父親加給我們的重擔，現在求你減輕你父親使我們作的苦工和加在我們背上的重擔，我們就服事你。”

『你父親使我們的軛很難負；你呢，現在你使你父親那令人很難作的工、和他所加在我們身上的重軛、輕鬆些吧，我們就服事你。』

爾父使我儕負軛艱苦、爾其輕爾父之重軛、與艱苦之役事、我則服事爾、

爾父使我負重軛、操作維艱、爾其輕我、我則役事爾。

爾父使我負重軛、服役艱苦、今爾輕之、我則事爾、

“ Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

“ Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”

“ Your father was a hard master,” they said.“ Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”

“ Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

“ Your father made our yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

“ Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

“ Your father made our yoke difficult. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

“ Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”

“ 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.”

Samuel told them,“ Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots.He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots.He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake.He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants.He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants.He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to.He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves.When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”

Solomon had 12 local governors over the whole land of Israel. They provided supplies for the king and the royal family. Each governor had to provide supplies for one month out of each year.

King Solomon forced people to work hard for him. Here is a record of what they did. They built the Lord’ s temple and Solomon’s palace. They filled in the low places. They rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. They built up Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.

“ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we’ll serve you.”Rehoboam answered,“ Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls.Serving me is easy, and my load is light.”

They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry. Then they put them on other people’s shoulders. But they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.

There were many people in Judah and Israel. In fact, they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They ate, drank and were happy.Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.Here are the supplies Solomon required every day. five and a half tons of the finest flour 11 tons of mealten oxen that had been fed by hand 20 oxen that had been fed on grasslands 100 sheep and goats deer, antelopes and roebucks the finest birdsSolomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the Euphrates River. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side.While Solomon was king, Judah and Israel lived in safety. They were secure from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Everyone had their own vine and their own fig tree.

But Solomon didn’t force any of the Israelites to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were his government officials, his officers and his captains. Others were commanders of his chariots and chariot drivers.Still others were the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects. There were 550 officials in charge of those who did the work.