< 2 Chronicles 10 >

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all the Israelites had gone to Shechem to make him king.
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem had all Israel come to make him king.
2 Jeroboam, son of Nebat, was still in Egypt when he heard about this. (He had run away to Egypt to escape from King Solomon and was living there.)
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
3 The Israelite leaders sent for him. Jereboam and all the Israelites went to talk with Rehoboam.
And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Your father placed a heavy burden on us,” they told him. “But now if you lighten the load your father imposed and the heavy demands he laid on us, we will serve you.”
Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back in three days time.” So the people left.
And he said to them, Come again to me after three days. And the people departed.
6 King Rehoboam asked for advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive. “How do you advise me to reply to these people about this?” he asked.
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
7 They replied, “If you treat these people well, and please them by speaking kindly to them, they will always serve you.”
And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But Rehoboam dismissed the advice of the elders. He instead asked advice from the young men who he had grown up with, and who were close to him.
But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
9 He asked them, “What response do you advise that we send back to these people who have told me, ‘Lighten the burden your father put on us’?”
And he said to them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father put upon us?
10 The young men who he had grown up with told him, “This is what you have to tell these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our burden heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should answer them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!
And the young men that were brought up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s thighs.
11 My father placed a heavy burden on you, and I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips; I will punish you with scorpions.’”
For though my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, because the king had told them, “Come back in three days time.”
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king appointed, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
13 The king answered them sharply. Dismissing the advice of the elders,
And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
14 he replied using the advice of the young men. He said, “My father placed a heavy burden on you, and I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips; I will punish you with scorpions.”
And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 The king did not listen to what the people said, for this change in circumstances was from God, to fulfill what Lord had told Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
So the king hearkened not to the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 When all the Israelites saw that the king wasn't listening to them, they told the king: “What share do we have in David, and what part do we have in the son of Jesse? Go home, Israel! You're on your own, house of David!” So all the Israelites went home.
And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thy own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
17 However, Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in Judah.
But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam quickly jumped into his chariot and raced back to Jerusalem.
Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the forced labour; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get into his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 As a result, Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

< 2 Chronicles 10 >