2 Chronicles 10
1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
Now Rehoboam set out for Shechem. For in that place all of Israel had convened, so that they might appoint him as king.
2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.
But when Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (indeed he had fled to that place from Solomon) had heard it, he promptly returned.
3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,
And they summoned him, and he arrived with all of Israel. And they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
“Your father pressed upon us a very difficult yoke. You should govern us more lightly than your father, who imposed on us a heavy servitude, and so lift up some of the burden, so that we may serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.
But he said, “Return to me after three days.” And when the people had gone away,
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.
he took counsel with the elders, who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still living, saying, “What counsel would you give to me, so that I may respond to the people?”
7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
And they said to him, “If you please this people, and if you soothe them with words of clemency, they will be your servants for all days.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
But he set aside the counsel of the elders, and he began to have discussion with the youth, who had been raised with him and who were among his companions.
9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
And he said to them: “How does it seem to you? Or how should I respond to this people, who have said to me, ‘Lift up the yoke that your father imposed upon us?’”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
But they responded like youths, having been raised with him in luxury, and they said: “So shall you speak to the people, who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you should lighten it,’ and so shall you respond to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, and I will place more weight upon it. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.’”
12 After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
Then Jeroboam, and the entire people, went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as he had instructed them.
13 And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
And the king responded harshly, abandoning the counsel of the elders.
14 and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”
And he spoke according to the will of the youths: “My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, which I will make heavier. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.”
15 So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
And he did not acquiesce to the pleadings of the people. For it was the will of God that his word be fulfilled, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home,
Then the entire people, speaking more harshly to the king, spoke to him in this way: “There is no portion for us in David, and there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Return to your dwellings, O Israel. Then you, O David, shall pasture your own house.” And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.
And king Rehoboam sent Aduram, who was in charge of the tributes. And the sons of Israel stoned him, and he died. And so king Rehoboam hurried to climb into the chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem.
19 So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
And Israel withdrew from the house of David, even to this day.
