12
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
the LORD, that
he might establish
his word, which
the LORD 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 ‘The
LORD 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
the LORD’s word,
and returned and
went their way,
according to the
LORD’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 the
LORD’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.