1 Kings 12

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. For in that place, all of Israel had gathered to appoint him as king.

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.

2 Yet truly, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, while he was still in Egypt as a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned from Egypt.

When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

3 And they sent and called him. Therefore, Jeroboam went, with the entire multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:

So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

4 “Your father imposed a very harsh yoke upon us. And so, you should now take away a little from the very harsh rule of your father and from his very grievous yoke, which he imposed upon us, and we will serve you.”

“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.”

5 And he said to them, “Go away, until the third day, and then return to me.” And when the people had gone away,

Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people departed.

6 king Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had assisted before his father Solomon while he was still living. And he said, “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people?”

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.

7 They said to him, “If today you will obey and serve this people, and yield to their petition, and if you will speak lenient words to them, they will be your servants for all days.”

They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he abandoned the counsel of the old men, which they had given to him. And he consulted the young men who had been raised with him, and who were assisting him.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

9 And he said to them: “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people, who have said to me: ‘Make light the yoke that your father imposed on us?’”

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’?”

10 And the young men who had been raised with him, said: “You shall speak in this way to this people, who have spoken to you, saying: ‘Your father weighed down our yoke. You should relieve us.’ You shall say this to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

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!

11 And now, my father placed a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add more upon your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’”

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.’”

12 Therefore, Jeroboam and all the people went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had spoken, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”

13 And the king responded to the people harshly, leaving behind the counsel of the elders that they had given to him.

And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders

14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: “My father weighed down your yoke, but I will add more to your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.”

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.”

15 And the king did not acquiesce to the people. For the Lord had turned him away, so that he might raise up his word, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

16 And so the people, seeing that the king had not been willing to listen to them, responded to him, saying: “What part do we have in David? Or what inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Go to your own tents, O Israel. Now David, see to your own house.” And Israel went away to their own tents.

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 the Israelites went home,

17 But over all the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned.

but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all of Israel stoned him, and he died. Therefore, king Rehoboam hurrying, climbed into the chariot, and fled to Jerusalem.

Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel drew away from the house of David, even to the present day.

So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.

20 And it happened that, when all of Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, gathering an assembly, they sent and called him, and they appointed him as king over all of Israel. And no one followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah alone.

When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

21 Then Rehoboam went to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the entire house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand elect men of war, so that they might fight against the house of Israel, and might bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

And when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

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

But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

23 “Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah, and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

“Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people

24 ‘Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not make war against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let each man return to his own house. For this word came from me.’” And they listened to the word of the Lord, and they returned from the journey, as the Lord had instructed them.

that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back according to the word of the LORD.

25 Then Jeroboam built up Shechem, on mount Ephraim, and he lived there. And departing from there, he built up Penuel.

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And from there he went out and built Penuel.

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

Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.

27 if this people ascend to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. And the heart of this people will be converted to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and they will put me to death, and return to him.”

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: “No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!”

After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

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

One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

30 And this word became an occasion of sin. For the people went to adore the calf, even to Dan.

And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

31 And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites.

32 And he appointed a solemn day in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in imitation of the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah. And ascending to the altar, he acted similarly in Bethel, so that he immolated to the calves, which he had made. And in Bethel, he appointed priests of the high places, which he had made.

And Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up, and he installed priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.

33 And he ascended to the altar, which he had raised up in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the day that he had decided in his own heart. And he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he ascended to the altar, so that he might burn incense.

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel. So he ordained a feast for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.