2 Chronicles 10
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it — for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon — that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.
3 And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,
4 'Thy father made our yoke grievous; now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.'
“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 unto them: 'Come again unto me after three days.' And the people departed.
Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.
6 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?'
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 And they spoke unto him, saying: 'If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.'
They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before 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 unto them: 'What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying: Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?'
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 that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spoke unto thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them: My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.
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 whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise 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 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying: 'Come to me again 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 answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
14 and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise 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 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was brought about of God, that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke 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 God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David.' So all Israel departed unto their 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 all the Israelites went home,
17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the levy; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
