Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G Message"Your father made our yoke unbearable. Ease the hard labor and the crushing burden he placed on us, and we will serve you faithfully."
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.G"Your father made our yoke crushing. Now lighten the harsh service of your father and his heavy yoke that he laid upon us, and we will serve you."
KJV
King James VersionThy 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.
BSB
Berean Standard Bible“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Footnotes
The word *עֹל* (*ol*, yoke) carries deep covenantal resonance — it is the image used for Egypt's oppression in the Exodus narrative (Lev. 26:13). The people are implicitly drawing a parallel: Solomon's forced-labour regime was a new Egypt, and they appeal to the new king as a potential liberator. *עֲבֹדָה* (*avodah*, service/labour) also means worship — the irony being that service to a tyrant deforms the very capacity for service to YHWH. FOG renders the double force of 'harsh service' and 'heavy yoke'; FOG Message chooses 'unbearable' and 'crushing burden' to communicate the emotional register.
