aThen Rehoboam went
to Shechem
, for all
Israel
had come
to bShechem
to make
him king
.
Now awhen Jeroboam the son
of Nebat
heard
of it, 1he was living
in Egypt
(for he was yet
in Egypt
, where
he had fled
from the presence
of King
Solomon
).
Then they sent and called
him, and Jeroboam
and all
the assembly
of Israel
came
and spoke
to Rehoboam
, saying
,
" aYour father made
our yoke
hard
; now
therefore lighten
the hard
service
of your father
and his heavy
yoke
which
he put
on us, and we will serve
you."
Then he said to them, " aDepart
1for three
days
, then return
to me." So the people
departed
.
King Rehoboam
aconsulted
with the elders
who
had
1served
his father
Solomon
while he was still alive
, saying
, "How
do you counsel
me to answer
this
people
?"
Then they spoke to him, saying
, " aIf
you will be a servant
to this
people
today
, and will serve
them and 1grant
them their petition
, and speak
good
words
to them, then they will be your servants
forever
."
But he forsook the counsel
of the elders
which
they had given
him, and consulted
with the young
men
who
grew
up with him 1and served
him.
So he said to them, "What
counsel
do you give
that we may answer
this
people
who
have spoken
to me, saying
, `Lighten
the yoke
which
your father
put
on us'?"
The young men
who
grew
up with him spoke
to him, saying
, "Thus
you shall say
to this
people
who
spoke
to you, saying
, `Your father
made
our yoke
heavy
, now you make
it lighter
for us!' But you shall speak
to them, `My little
finger
is thicker
than
my father's
loins
!
`Whereas my father
loaded
you with a heavy
yoke
, I will add
to your yoke
; my father
disciplined
you with whips
, but I will discipline
you with scorpions
.' "
Then Jeroboam and all
the people
came
to Rehoboam
on the third
day
as the king
had 1directed
, saying
, " aReturn
to me on the third
day
."
The king answered
the people
harshly
, for he forsook
the advice
of the elders
which
they had 1given
him,
and he spoke to them according to the advice
of the young
men
, saying
, " aMy father
made
your yoke
heavy
, but I will add
to your yoke
; my father
disciplined
you with whips
, but I will discipline
you with scorpions
."
So the king did not listen
to the people
; afor it was a turn
of events from the LORD
, bthat He might establish
His word
, which
the LORD
spoke
through
Ahijah
the Shilonite
to Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
.
When all Israel
saw that the king
did not listen
to them, the people
answered
the king
, saying
, "What
portion
do we have in David
? We have no
inheritance
in the son
of Jesse
; aTo your tents
, O Israel
! Now
look
after your own house
, David
!" So Israel
departed
to their tents
.
But aas for the sons of Israel
who lived
in the cities
of Judah
, Rehoboam
reigned
over
them.
Then King Rehoboam
sent
aAdoram
, who
was over
the forced
labor
, and all
Israel
stoned
him 1to death
. And King
Rehoboam
made
haste
to mount
his chariot
to flee
to Jerusalem
.
aSo Israel has been in rebellion
against the house
of David
to this
day
.
It came about when all
Israel
heard
that Jeroboam
had returned
, that they sent
and called
him to the assembly
and made
him king
over
all
Israel
. aNone
but the tribe
of Judah
followed
the house
of David
.
aNow when Rehoboam had come
to Jerusalem
, he assembled
all
the house
of Judah
and the tribe
of Benjamin
, 180,000
chosen
men who were warriors
, to fight
against
the house
of Israel
to restore
the kingdom
to Rehoboam
the son
of Solomon
.
But the word of God
came
to aShemaiah
the man
of God
, saying
,
"Speak to Rehoboam
the son
of Solomon
, king
of Judah
, and to all
the house
of Judah
and Benjamin
and to the arest
of the people
, saying
,
`Thus says
the LORD
, "You must not go
up and fight
against
your 1relatives
the sons
of Israel
; return
every
man
to his house
, afor this
thing
has come
from Me.""' So they listened
to the word
of the LORD
, and returned
and went
their way according to the word
of the LORD
.
Then aJeroboam built
Shechem
in the hill
country
of Ephraim
, and lived
1there. And he went
out from there
and built
bPenuel
.
Jeroboam said
in his heart
, "Now
the kingdom
will return
to the house
of David
.
" aIf this
people
go
up to offer
sacrifices
in the house
of the LORD
at Jerusalem
, then the heart
of this
people
will return
to their lord
, even to Rehoboam
king
of Judah
; and they will kill
me and return
to Rehoboam
king
of Judah
."
So the king 1consulted
, and amade
two
golden
bcalves
, and he said
to them, "It is too
much
for you to go
up to Jerusalem
; cbehold
your gods
, O Israel
, that brought
you up from the land
of Egypt
."
He set aone
in bBethel
, and the other
he put
in cDan
.
Now athis thing
became
a sin
, for the people
went
to worship before
the one
as far
as Dan
.
And ahe made houses
on high
places
, and bmade
priests
from among 1all
the people
who
were not of the sons
of Levi
.
Jeroboam 1instituted
a feast
in the eighth
month
on the fifteenth
day
of the month
, alike the feast
which
is in Judah
, and he 2went
up to the altar
; thus
he did
in Bethel
, sacrificing
to the calves
which
he had made
. And he stationed
in Bethel
bthe priests
of the high
places
which
he had made
.
Then he 1went 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 2 adevised
3in his own heart
; and he 2instituted
a feast
for the sons
of Israel
and 1went
up to the altar
bto burn
4incense
.