1 Kings 12

1 And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.

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

2 But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.

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 they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

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

4 Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now therefore do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

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 till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,

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

6 King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer 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 They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people today, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.

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 left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and stood 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 he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter?

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 that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

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 And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

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 Jeroboam and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again 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 answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,

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

14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

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 And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

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 Then the people seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai? Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now David look to thy own house. So Israel departed to their dwellings.

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 as for all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam reigned over them.

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

18 Then king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died. Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled 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 And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.

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

20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda only.

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 And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred four-score thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam 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 the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:

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

23 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying:

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 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.

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 And Jeroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence he built Phanuel.

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 shall the kingdom return to the house of David,

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

27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.

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 And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee 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 set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:

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

30 And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf as far as Dan.

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

31 And he made temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

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 he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda. And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which 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 And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went upon the altar to burn incense.

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.