1 Kings 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for al Israel were come to Sheche, to make him king

And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king.

2 And whe Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, whither Ieroboam had fled from king Salomon, and dwelt in Egypt)

3 Then they sent and called him: and Ieroboam and all the Congregation of Israel came, and spake vnto Rehoboam, saying,

And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy;

4 Thy father made our yoke grieuous: now therefore make thou the grieuous seruitude of thy father, and his sore yoke which he put vpon vs, lighter, and we will serue thee.

but do you now lighten somewhat of the hard service of your father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve you.

5 And he said vnto them, Depart yet for three dayes, then come againe to me. And the people departed.

And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.

6 And King Rehoboam tooke counsell with the olde men that had stande before Salomon his father, while he yet liued, and sayde, What counsell giue ye, that I may make an answere to this people?

And the king referred [the matter] to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do you advise that I should answer this people?

7 And they spake vnto him, saying, If thou be a seruant vnto this people this day, and serue them, and answere them, and speake kinde wordes to them, they will be thy seruants for euer.

And they spoke to him, saying, If you will this day be a servant to this people, and will serve them, and will speak to them good words, then will they be your servants continually.

8 But he forsooke the counsell that the olde men had giuen him, and asked counsell of the yong men that had bene brought vp with him, and waited on him.

But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence.

9 And he said vnto them, What counsell giue ye, that we may answere this people, which haue spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke, which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter?

And he said to them, What counsel do you give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which your father has put upon us?

10 Then the yong men that were brought vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say vnto this people, that haue spoken vnto thee, and said, Thy father hath made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter vnto vs: euen thus shalt thou say vnto them, My least part shalbe bigger then my fathers loynes.

And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you say to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, and do you now lighten it from off us: thus shall say to them, My little [finger shall be] thicker than my father's loins.

11 Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will yet make your yoke heauier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12 Then Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me againe ye thirde day.

And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day.

13 And the king answered the people sharpely, and left the old mens counsell that they gaue him,

And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him.

14 And spake to them after the counsell of the yong men, saying, My father made your yoke grieuous, and I will make your yoke more grieuous: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

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

15 And the King hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordinance of the Lord, that he might perfourme his saying, which the Lord had spoken by Ahiiah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

And the king listened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

16 So when all Israel sawe that the King regarded them not, the people answered the King thus, saying, What portion haue we in Dauid? we haue none inheritance in the sonne of Ishai. To your tents, O Israel: nowe see to thine owne house, Dauid. So Israel departed vnto their tents.

And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to your tents: now feed your own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.

17 Howbeit ouer the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Iudah, did Rehoboam reigne still.

18 Nowe the King Rehoboam sent Adoram the receiuer of the tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death: then King Rehoboam made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ierusalem.

And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day.

So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.

20 And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent and called him vnto the assemblie, and made him King ouer all Israel: none followed the house of Dauid, but the tribe of Iudah onely.

And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.

21 And when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered all the house of Iudah with the tribe of Beniamin an hundreth and foure score thousand of chosen men (which were good warriours) to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon.

And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the worde of God came vnto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying,

23 Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon King of Iudah, and vnto all the house of Iudah and Beniamin, and the remnant of the people, saying,

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

24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go vp, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: returne euery man to his house: for this thing is done by me. They obeyed therefore the worde of the Lord and returned, and departed, according to the worde of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up, neither shall you fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they listened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.

25 Then Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went from thence, and built Penuel.

And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and lived in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel.

26 And Ieroboam thought in his heart, Nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

27 If this people goe vp and doe sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Ierusalem, then shall the heart of this people turne againe vnto their lorde, euen to Rehoboam King of Iudah: so shall they kill me and goe againe to Rehoboam King of Iudah.

If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to the Lord, and to their master, to Roboam king of Juda, and they will kill me.

28 Whereupon the King tooke counsell, and made two calues of golde, and saide vnto them, It is too much for you to goe vp to Ierusalem: beholde, O Israel, thy gods, which brought thee vp out of the lande of Egypt.

And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you to have gone [hitherto] to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

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

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

30 And this thing turned to sinne: for the people went (because of the one) euen to Dan.

And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord.

31 Also he made an house of hie places, and made Priestes of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sonnes of Leui.

And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Ieroboam made a feast the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, like vnto the feast that is in Iudah, and offred on the altar. So did he in Beth-el and offered vnto the calues that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the Priestes of the hie places, which he had made.

And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Juda;

33 And he offered vpon the altar, which he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, (euen in the moneth which he had forged of his owne heart) and made a solemne feast vnto the children of Israel: and he went vp to the altar, to burne incense.

and went up to the altar which he made in Baethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Baethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.