1 Kings 12:1-24

Rehoboam’s Folly

1 aRehoboam went to bShechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And as soon as cJeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for dhe was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from
Septuagint, Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 10:2); Hebrew lived in
Egypt.
3And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 f“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, g“Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11And now, whereas hmy father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, i“Come to me again the third day.” 13And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 14he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, j“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for kit was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which lthe Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided

16And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. mTo your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. 17But Rehoboam reigned over nthe people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18Then King Rehoboam sent oAdoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 pSo Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but qthe tribe of Judah only.

21 rWhen Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to sShemaiah the man of God: 23Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the trest of the people, 24Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, ufor this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.

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