1 Kings 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel came to Shechem to make him king.

2 And it came to pass, 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 dwelt in Egypt,

3 and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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

5 And he said to them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye to me to return an answer to this people?

7 And they spoke to him, saying, If thou will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.

8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that grew up with him, who stood before him.

9 And he said to them, What counsel give ye, that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father put upon us lighter?

10 And the young men that grew up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall thou say to this people that spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter to us; thus shall thou speak to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

11 And 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 bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.

13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

14 and spoke to them after 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 did not hearken to the people, for it was a thing brought about by Jehovah, that he might establish his word, which Jehovah spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents.

17 But as for the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the men subject to task work. And all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but only the tribe of Judah.

21 And when Rehoboam came 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 Thus says Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is of me. So they hearkened to the word of Jehovah, and returned and went their way according to the word of Jehovah.

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein. And he went out from there, and built Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Jehovah 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 Whereupon 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. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

30 And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan.

31 And he made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And 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. So he did 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 And 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 sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.