1 R ehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

2 N ow Jeroboam the son of Nebat was still in Egypt where he had run away from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard the news, he returned from Egypt.

So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt ),

3 T hey sent for him. Then Jeroboam and all the people of Israel came and said to Rehoboam,

that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 “ Your father made our load heavy. Take away some of the hard work and heavy load your father put on us, and we will serve you.”

“Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 R ehoboam said to them, “Leave for three days. Then return to me.” So the people left.

So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

6 K ing Rehoboam spoke with the leaders who had worked for his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, “What answer do you think I should give to these people?”

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 T hey said to him, “Help these people today. Serve them. Answer them with good words. If you do, then they will be your servants forever.”

And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 B ut Rehoboam turned away from the wise words the leaders gave him. Instead he spoke with the young men who grew up with him and stood by him.

But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9 H e said to them, “What answer do you say we should give to these people who have said to me, ‘Take away some of the heavy load your father put on us’?”

And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 T he young men who grew up with him said, “This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our load heavy. Now you take some of the load from us.’ You should say to them, ‘My little finger is bigger around than my father’s body!

Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!

11 M y father gave you a heavy load. I will add to your load. My father punished you with whips. But I will punish you with scorpions.’”

And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’”

12 T hen Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had told them, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13 A nd the king was hard in his answer to them. For he turned away from the wise words the leaders had given him.

Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;

14 H e spoke to them as he had been told by the young men. He said, “My father made your load heavy. I will add to your load. My father punished you with whips. But I will punish you with scorpions.”

and he spoke to them according to the advice 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 scourges!”

15 S o the king did not listen to the people. The Lord had let this happen, that He might keep His Word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 A ll Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So they said to the king, “What share do we have in David? We have no share in the son of Jesse! To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel went to their tents.

Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!” So Israel departed to their tents.

17 B ut as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam ruled over them.

But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 T hen King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who ruled over those who were made to work, and all Israel killed him with stones. So King Rehoboam got on his war-wagon in a hurry to go to Jerusalem.

Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.

19 S o Israel turned against the family of David to this day.

So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 W hen all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him to meet with the people and made him king of all Israel. Only the family of Judah followed the family of David.

Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him 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 W hen Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered all the family of Judah and the family of Benjamin. He gathered together 180, 000 chosen men of war to fight against the family of Israel and return the nation to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 B ut the Word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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

23 “ Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam king of Judah, and to all the family of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people. Tell them,

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

24 ’ This is what the Lord says. “You must not go up and fight against your brothers the sons of Israel. Every man return to his house. For I have let this thing happen.”’” So they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned, as the Lord told them. Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord. Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

25 T hen Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.

26 J eroboam said in his heart, “Now the nation will return to the family of David.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:

27 I f these people go up to give gifts in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then their hearts will turn to their lord Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and follow Rehoboam king of Judah.”

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 S o the king asked the leaders what he should do. And he made two calves of gold. Then he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

29 H e put one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

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

30 N ow this thing became a sin. For the people went to worship in front of them, even as far as Dan.

Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

31 J eroboam made houses on high places. He made religious leaders from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Worship of Calves at Bethel

He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 H e made a special supper on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the special supper which is in Judah. And he gave gifts on the altar. He did the same in Bethel, giving gifts to the calves he had made. And he placed in Bethel the religious leaders of the high places he had made.

Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.

33 T hen he went up to the altar he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day he chose in his own heart. He made a special supper for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn special perfume.

So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.