1 A nd 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 A nd it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt),

And when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it—for he still dwelt in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon— returned from Egypt.

3 t hat 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 him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam,

4 ` Thy father made hard our yoke, and thou, now, make light 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 heavy; now therefore lighten the hard service and the heavy yoke your father put upon us, and we will serve you.

5 A nd he saith unto them, `Go -- yet three days, and come back unto me;' and the people go.

He replied, Go away for three days and then return to me. So the people departed.

6 A nd 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?'

And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived and said, How do you advise me to answer this people?

7 A nd 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.'

And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and answer them with good words, they will be your servants forever.

8 A nd 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 the old men gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and stood before him.

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

He said to them, What do you advise that we answer this people who have said, Make the yoke your father put on us lighter?

10 A nd 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 light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little is thicker than the loins of my father;

The young men who grew up with him answered, To the people who told you, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us—say this, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

11 a nd 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.'

And now whereas my father loaded 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 A nd 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 on the third day, as the king had appointed.

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

And the king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel the old men had given him,

14 a nd 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 after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; he chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 a nd 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 hearken to the people, for the situation was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

16 A nd 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.

So when all Israel saw that the king did not heed them, they answered the king, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David! So Israel went to their tents.

17 A s to the sons of Israel, those dwelling in the cities of Judah -- over them reign doth Rehoboam.

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

18 A nd king Rehoboam sendeth Adoram who 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 tribute, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. So King Rehoboam hastened to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

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

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

20 A nd 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.

When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only.

21 A nd 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.

And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180, 000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

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

But the word of God 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,

Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the remnant of the people,

24 T hus 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 or fight against your brethren, the Israelites. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. So they hearkened to the Lord’s word and returned home, according to the Lord’s word.

25 A nd 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 there. He went out from there and built Penuel.

26 a nd 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 i f 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 the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to sacrifice, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.

28 A nd 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.'

So 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. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

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

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

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

And this thing became a sin; for the people went to worship each of them even as far as Dan.

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

Jeroboam also made houses on high places and made priests of people who were not Levites.

32 a nd Jeroboam maketh a festival in the eighth month, in the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that 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.

And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast kept in Judah, and he offered sacrifices upon the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had made.

33 A nd 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.

So he offered upon the altar he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a date which he chose individually; and he appointed a feast for the Israelites and he went up to the altar to burn incense