1Ki 12:1-20 | NASB2020 | STEP | Then Rehoboam went to Shechem , because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king .

1 Kings 12:1-20

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

1 ^aThen Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to ^bShechem to make him king. 2 Now ^cwhen Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about this, ^{▼▼Lit Jeroboam}he was living in Egypt (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3 Then they sent word and summoned him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “ ^eYour father made our yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 Then he said to them, “ ^fDepart ^{▼▼Lit three more}for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

6 And King Rehoboam ^hconsulted with the elders who had ^{▼▼Lit stood before}served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 Then they spoke to him, saying, “ ^jIf you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and ^{▼▼Lit answer them}grant them their request, and speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always.” 8 But he ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him ^{▼▼Lit who stood before}and served him. 9 He said to them, “What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to this people who spoke to you, saying: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with ^{▼▼Prob. a brutal type of whip}scorpions!’”

12 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ^{▼▼Lit spoken}directed, saying, “ ^oReturn to me on the third day.” 13 And the king answered the people harshly, for he ignored the advice of the elders which they had ^{▼▼Lit advised}given him, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “ ^qMy father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with ^{▼▼See note v 11}scorpions!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; ^sbecause it was ^{▼▼Or the providence of the Lord}a turn of events from the Lord, ^uin order to establish His word which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people replied to the king, saying,

“What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
^vTo your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”
So Israel went away to their tents. 17 But ^was for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent ^xAdoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him ^{▼▼Lit with stones that he died}to death. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 ^zSo Israel has broken with the house of David to this day.

20 And it came about, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent word and called him to the assembly, and made him king over all Israel. ^aaNone except the tribe of Judah alone followed the house of David.