10
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 in
Egypt, where he
had fled from
the presence of
King Solomon),
Jeroboam returned
out of Egypt.
3 They
sent and called
him; and Jeroboam
and all Israel
came, and they
spoke to Rehoboam,
saying,
4 “Your father
made our yoke
grievous. Now
therefore make 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, “Come
again to me
after three days.”
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 about how
to answer these
people?”
7 They
spoke to him,
saying, “If you
are kind to
these people,
please them, and
speak good words
to them, 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 give an
answer to 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 spoke
to him, saying, “Thus
you shall tell
the people who
spoke to you,
saying, ‘Your father
made our yoke
heavy, but make
it lighter on
us;’ thus 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 them
roughly; and King
Rehoboam abandoned
the counsel of
the old men,
14 and
spoke to them
after the counsel
of the young
men, saying, “My
father made your
yoke heavy, but
I will add
to it. 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 brought about
by God, that
the LORD might
establish his word,
which he 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 do we
have in David?
We don’t have an
inheritance in the
son of Jesse!
Every man to
your tents, Israel!
Now see to
your own house,
David.” So all
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
Hadoram, who was
over the
men subject to
forced labor; and
the children of
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.