1 Kings 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come together to make him king,

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, —for, to Shechem, had all Israel come to make him king.

2 And, hearing of it, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was still in Egypt, where he had gone in flight from Solomon, and was living there, came back to his town Zeredah, in the hill-country of Ephraim;

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it—he being yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the face of Solomon the king, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt;

3 And all the men of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

yes they sent, and called him, and Jeroboam and all the convocation of Israel came, —and spake unto Rehoboam, saying:

4 Your father put a hard yoke on us: if you will make the conditions under which your father kept us down less cruel, and the weight of the yoke he put on us less hard, then we will be your servants.

Thy father, made our yoke, grievous, —now, therefore do, thou, lighten the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, that we may serve thee.

5 And he said to them, Go away for three days and then come back to me again. So the people went away.

And he said unto them—Depart ye for yet three days, and then come again unto me. And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam took the opinion of the old men who had been with Solomon his father when he was living, and said, In your opinion, what answer am I to give to this people?

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who used to stand before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, saying, —How do, ye, advise, that I answer this people?

7 And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today, caring for them and giving them a gentle answer, then they will be your servants for ever.

And they spake unto him, saying—If, to-day, thou wilt be servant unto this people, and wilt serve them, —and answer them kindly, and speak unto them good words, then will they be, thy, servants, always.

8 But he gave no attention to the opinion of the old men, and went to the young men of his generation who were waiting before him:

But he declined the counsel of the elders which they gave him, and consulted with the young men, who had grown up with him, who were standing before himself;

9 And said to them, What is your opinion? What answer are we to give to this people who have said to me, Make less the weight of the yoke which your father put on us?

and said unto them—What counsel do, ye, give as to how we shall answer this people who have spoken unto me, saying—Make a lightening of the yoke which thy father put upon us?

10 And the young men of his generation said to him, This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying, Your father put a hard yoke on us; will you make it less? say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's body;

Then spake unto him the young men who had grown up with him, saying, Thus, shalt thou say to this people that have spoken unto thee, saying—Thy father, made our yoke heavy, thou, therefore lighten it upon us, Thus, shalt thou speak unto them, My little finger, is thicker than my father’s loins;

11 If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder: my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.

Now, therefore, whereas, my father, laid upon you a heavy yoke, I, will add to your yoke, —My father, did chastise you with whips, but, I, will chastise you with scorpions.

12 So all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had given orders, saying, Come back to me the third day.

So Jeroboam and all the people came in unto Rehoboam, on the third day, —as the king had bidden, saying—Come again unto me, on the third day.

13 And the king gave them a rough answer, giving no attention to the suggestion of the old men;

And the king answered the people, harshly, —and declined the counsel of the elders wherewith they had counselled him;

14 But giving them the answer put forward by the young men, saying, My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder; my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes.

and spake unto them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father, made your yoke heavy, but, I, will add unto your yoke, —My father, chastised you, with whips, but, I, will chastise you, with scorpions.

15 So the king did not give ear to the people; and this came about by the purpose of the Lord, so that what he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, might be effected.

Thus the king hearkened not unto the people, —for there had come about a turn from Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite, unto Jeroboam, son of Nebat.

16 And when all Israel saw that the king would give no attention to them, the people in answer said to the king, What part have we in David? what is our heritage in the son of Jesse? to your tents, O Israel; now see to your people, David. So Israel went away to their tents.

So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying—What portion have, we, in, David. Or inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your homes O Israel! Now, see to thine own house, O David! And Israel departed to their homes.

17 (But Rehoboam was still king over those of the children of Israel who were living in the towns of Judah.)

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

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the overseer of the forced work; and he was stoned to death by all Israel. And King Rehoboam went quickly and got into his carriage to go in flight to Jerusalem.

Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram who was over the tribute, but all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died, —King Rehoboam, therefore, hastily mounted his chariot, to flee unto Jerusalem.

19 So Israel was turned away from the family of David to this day.

So Israel rebelled against the house of David, —unto this day.

20 Now when all Israel had news that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him to come before the meeting of the people, and made him king over Israel: not one of them was joined to the family of David but only the tribe of Judah.

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him into the assembly, and made him king over all Israel, —there were none that followed the house of David, saving the tribe of Judah only.

21 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he got together all the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand of his best fighting-men, to make war against Israel and get the kingdom back for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

And, when Rehoboam entered Jerusalem, he called together all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, able to make war, —to fight against the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,

Then came the word of God unto Shemaiah, the man of God, saying:

23 Say to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the men of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people:

Speak unto Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah, and Benjamin, —and the remnant of the people, saying:

24 The Lord has said, You are not to go to war against your brothers, the children of Israel; go back, every man to his house, because this thing is my purpose. So they gave ear to the word of the Lord, and went back, as the Lord had said.

Thus, saith Yahweh—Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel, —return ye every man to his own house, for, from me, hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the word of Yahweh, and turned back to depart, according to the word of Yahweh.

25 Then Jeroboam made the town of Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim a strong place, and was living there; and from there he went out and did the same to Penuel.

Then Jeroboam built Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim, and dwelt therein, —and went forth from thence, and built Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will go back to the family of David:

And Jeroboam said in his heart, —Now, shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

27 If the people go up to make offerings in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, their heart will be turned again to their lord, to Rehoboam, king of Judah; and they will put me to death and go back to Rehoboam, king of Judah.

If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people return unto their lord, unto Rehoboam, king of Judah, —and they will slay me, and return unto Rehoboam, king of Judah.

28 So after taking thought the king made two oxen of gold; and he said to the people, You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough; see! these are your gods, O Israel, who took you out of the land of Egypt.

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, —and said unto them—It is, too much for you, to go up to Jerusalem, Lo! thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt;

29 And he put one in Beth-el and the other in Dan.

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

30 And this became a sin in Israel; for the people went to give worship to the one at Beth-el, and to the other at Dan.

And this thing became a sin, —and the people went before the one, as far as Dan.

31 And he made places for worship at the high places, and made priests, who were not Levites, from among all the people.

And he made a house of high-places, —and made priests from the whole compass of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Jeroboam gave orders for a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is kept in Judah, and he went up to the altar. And in the same way, in Beth-el, he gave offerings to the oxen which he had made, placing in Beth-el the priests of the high places he had made.

And Jeroboam made a festival in the eight month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival which [was held] in Judah, and offered up on the altar, likewise, did he in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made, —and he kept in attendance in Bethel, the priests of the high-places which he had made.

33 He went up to the altar he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month fixed by him at his pleasure; and he gave orders for a feast for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar, and there he made the smoke of his offerings go up.

And he offered up on the altar which he had made in Bethel, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month which he had devised out of his own heart, —thus made he a festival for the sons of Israel, and offered up on the altar, to make a perfume.