2 Chronicles 10
1 All the people of Israel went to Shechem [city] in order to appoint Rehoboam to be their king. So Rehoboam also went there.
Now Rehoboam set out for Shechem. For in that place all of Israel had convened, so that they might appoint him as king.
2 Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had fled to Egypt [to escape] from King Solomon. But when he heard [about the people wanting to appoint Rehoboam to be their king], he returned [to Israel] from Egypt
But when Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (indeed he had fled to that place from Solomon) had heard it, he promptly returned.
3 So the [leaders of the northern tribes] summoned him, and he went with them [to talk] to Rehoboam. They said to Rehoboam,
And they summoned him, and he arrived with all of Israel. And they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 “Your father [Solomon] forced us to work very hard for him. If you do not force us to work that hard, and if you charge us less taxes than we were paying to him, we will serve you [faithfully].”
“Your father pressed upon us a very difficult yoke. You should govern us more lightly than your father, who imposed on us a heavy servitude, and so lift up some of the burden, so that we may serve you.”
5 He replied, “Come back three days from now [and I will give you my answer].” So those leaders [and Jeroboam] left.
But he said, “Return to me after three days.” And when the people had gone away,
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted his older men who had advised his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, “What shall I say to answer these men?”
he took counsel with the elders, who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still living, saying, “What counsel would you give to me, so that I may respond to the people?”
7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and do things that will please them, and if you say kind things to them when you answer them, they will always serve you.”
And they said to him, “If you please this people, and if you soothe them with words of clemency, they will be your servants for all days.”
8 But he ignored what the older men advised him to do. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him, who were now his advisors.
But he set aside the counsel of the elders, and he began to have discussion with the youth, who had been raised with him and who were among his companions.
9 He said to them, “How should I answer the men who are asking me to reduce the [work and taxes] that my father required from them?”
And he said to them: “How does it seem to you? Or how should I respond to this people, who have said to me, ‘Lift up the yoke that your father imposed upon us?’”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “[Those men] have said that your father forced them to work very hard for him, so they want you to reduce the [work and taxes] that your father required from them. But this is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
But they responded like youths, having been raised with him in luxury, and they said: “So shall you speak to the people, who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you should lighten it,’ and so shall you respond to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 What I mean is that my father required you to [work hard and pay high taxes]. But I will make those loads heavier. [It was as though] my father whipped you, but I will whip you with whips that have pieces of metal in them.’”
My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, and I will place more weight upon it. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.’”
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and all the leaders came to King Rehoboam again, which is what he had told them to do.
Then Jeroboam, and the entire people, went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as he had instructed them.
13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israeli leaders.
And the king responded harshly, abandoning the counsel of the elders.
14 [He told them what the younger men had advised.] He said, “My father put heavy burdens [of work and taxes] on you, but I will put heavier burdens on you. [It was as though] he beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have pieces of metal in them!”
And he spoke according to the will of the youths: “My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, which I will make heavier. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.”
15 So the king did not pay any attention to the Israeli leaders. But this happened in order that what Yahweh had told the prophet Ahijah about Jeroboam would happen.
And he did not acquiesce to the pleadings of the people. For it was the will of God that his word be fulfilled, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 When the Israeli leaders realized that the king did not pay any attention to what they said, they shouted, “We do not want anything to do with this descendant of King David! We will not pay attention to what this grandson of Jesse says! You people of Israel, let’s go home! As for this descendant of David, he can rule his own kingdom!” So the Israeli leaders returned to their homes.
Then the entire people, speaking more harshly to the king, spoke to him in this way: “There is no portion for us in David, and there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Return to your dwellings, O Israel. Then you, O David, shall pasture your own house.” And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 And [after that, the only Israeli] people whom Rehoboam ruled over were those who lived in the territory of [the tribes of] Judah [and Benjamin].
But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam went with Adoniram [to talk to the Israeli people]. Adoniram was the man who supervised [all the men who were] forced to work [for Rehoboam]. But the Israeli people killed him by throwing stones at him. When that happened, King Rehoboam quickly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
And king Rehoboam sent Aduram, who was in charge of the tributes. And the sons of Israel stoned him, and he died. And so king Rehoboam hurried to climb into the chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem.
19 Ever since that time, [the people of the northern tribes of] Israel have been rebelling against the descendants of [King] David.
And Israel withdrew from the house of David, even to this day.
