2 Chronicles 10
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel was coming to Shechem to make him king.
And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king.
2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard this (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon, ) heard it, forthwith he returned.
3 So they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all Israel came; they spoke to Rehoboam and said,
And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:
4 “Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore, make your father's hard work easier, and lighten the heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Thy father oppressed us with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee.
5 Rehoboam said to them, “Come again to me after three days.” So the people left.
And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,
6 King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive; he said, “How would you advise me to bring an answer to these people?”
He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people?
7 They spoke to him and said, “If you are good to this people and please them, and say good words to them, then they will always be your servants.”
And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But Rehoboam ignored the advice of the old men that they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train.
9 He said to them, “What advice do you give me, so that we may answer the people who spoke to me and said, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?”
And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?
10 The young men who had grown up with Rehoboam spoke to him, saying, “This is how you should speak to the people who told you that your father Solomon made their yoke heavy, but that you must make it lighter. This is what you should say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.
11 So now, although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.'”
My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them.
13 Rehoboam spoke to them harshly, ignoring the advice of the old men.
And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients.
14 He spoke to them following the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”
And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.
15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn in events brought about by God, that Yahweh might carry out his word that Ahijah the Shilonite had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
And he condescended not to the people’s requests: for it was the will of God, that his word might be fulfilled which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered him and said, “What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Each of you should go back to his tent, Israel. Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel returned to their tents.
And all the people upon the king’s speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David, feed thy own house. And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 But as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was over the forced laborers, but the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam fled quickly in his chariot to Jerusalem.
And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to gee up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.
