1 Kings 12

1 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king.

Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he [is] yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt),

And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt), he came straight to his own city in the land of Zererah in the hill country of Ephraim.

3 that they send and call for him; and they come — Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel — and speak unto Rehoboam, saying,

And they sent and called for him. And Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 'Thy father made hard our yoke, and thou, now, make light [some] of the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.'

"Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you."

5 And he saith unto them, 'Go — yet three days, and come back unto me;' and the people go.

He said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." The people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?'

King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, "What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?"

7 And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.'

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

8 And he forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, who are standing before him;

But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9 and he saith unto them, 'What are ye counselling, and we answer this people, who have spoken unto me, saying, Lighten [somewhat] of the yoke that thy father put upon us?'

He said to them, "What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?'"

10 And they speak unto him — the lads who had grown up with him — saying, 'Thus dost thou say to this people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make [it] light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little [finger] is thicker than the loins of my father;

The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall tell this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;' you shall say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.

11 and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I — I chastise you with scorpions.'

Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'"

12 And they come — Jeroboam and all the people — unto Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, 'Come back unto me on the third day.'

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, "Come to me again the third day."

13 And the king answereth the people sharply, and forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him,

The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him,

14 and speaketh unto them, according to the counsel of the lads, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I — I chastise you with scorpions;'

and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but 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 unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.

So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 And all Israel see that the king hath not hearkened unto them, and the people send the king back word, saying, 'What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to thy tents, O Israel; now see thy house, O David!' and Israel goeth to its tents.

When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel. Now see to your own house, David." So Israel departed to their tents.

17 As to the sons of Israel, those dwelling in the cities of Judah — over them reign doth Rehoboam.

But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 And king Rehoboam sendeth Adoram who [is] over the tribute, and all Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem;

Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 and Israel transgresseth against the house of David unto this day.

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

20 And it cometh to pass, at all Israel's hearing that Jeroboam hath returned, that they send and call him unto the company, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none hath been after the house of David save the tribe of Judah alone.

It happened, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

21 And Rehoboam cometh to Jerusalem, and assembleth all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 And the word of God is unto Shemaiah a man of God, saying,

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 'Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying,

"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

24 Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren the sons of Israel; turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the word of Jehovah, and turn back to go according to the word of Jehovah.

'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is of me."'" So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way, according to the word of the LORD.

25 And Jeroboam buildeth Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelleth in it, and goeth out thence, and buildeth Penuel;

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.

26 and Jeroboam saith in his heart, 'Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David —

Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

27 if this people go up to make sacrifices in the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, then hath the heart of this people turned back unto their lord, unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they have slain me, and turned back unto Rehoboam king of Judah.'

If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."

28 And the king taketh counsel, and maketh two calves of gold, and saith unto them, 'Enough to you of going up to Jerusalem; lo, thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

29 And he setteth the one in Beth-El, and the other he hath put in Dan,

He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

30 and this thing becometh a sin, and the people go before the one — unto Dan.

Then this thing became a sin, for the people went before the one at Bethel and before the one as far as Dan.

31 And he maketh the house of high places, and maketh priests of the extremities of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi;

And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 and Jeroboam maketh a festival in the eighth month, in the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that [is] in Judah, and he offereth on the altar — so did he in Beth-El — to sacrifice to the calves which he made, and he hath appointed in Beth-El the priests of the high places that he made.

Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; he did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.

33 And he offereth up on the altar that he made in Beth-El, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he devised of his own heart, and he maketh a festival to the sons of Israel, and offereth on the altar — to make perfume.

He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.