1 T hen Rehoboam went to Shechem. 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 W hen Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he returned from Egypt. For Jeroboam had run to Egypt to get away from King Solomon.

So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

3 A nd the people sent for him. Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

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

4 “ Your father gave us a heavy load to carry. So now make our work easier than your father made us work. Do not let our load be as heavy as the one he put on us. And we will work for 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, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people left.

So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 T hen King Rehoboam spoke with the leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He said, “Tell me, how do you think I should answer these people?”

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

7 T hey said to him, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 B ut Rehoboam would not listen to the wise words of the leaders. He spoke with the young men who grew up with him and served 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, “Tell me, how do you think I should answer these people who have said to me, ‘Do not let our load be as heavy as the one 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 to him, “Say this to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our load heavy, but you make it easier for us.’ Tell 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 the 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 S o 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 on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13 T he king answered them with strong words. King Rehoboam did not listen to the wise words of the leaders.

Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders,

14 I nstead he listened to the words of the young men. And he said to them, “My father made your load heavy, but I will add to it. 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 it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!”

15 S o the king did not listen to the people. God made this happen so that He might make His Word come true which He 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 God, that the Lord might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 A ll Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people said to the king, “What share do we have in David? We have no share in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!” So all Israel left and 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. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!” So all Israel departed to their tents.

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

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

18 T hen King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the man who made the people work. But the people of Israel killed him with stones. So King Rehoboam got on his war-wagon in a hurry, to go to Jerusalem.

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

19 I srael has been against the family of David to this day.

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