And Rehoboam went
to Shechem
: for all Israel
were come
to Shechem
to make him king
.
And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son
of Nebat
, who was yet in Egypt
, heard
of it , (for he was fled
from the presence
of king
Solomon
, and Jeroboam
dwelt
in Egypt
;)
That they sent and called
him. And Jeroboam
and all the congregation
of Israel
came
, and spake
unto Rehoboam
, saying
,
Thy father made
our yoke
grievous
: now therefore make thou the grievous
service
of thy father
, and his heavy
yoke
which he put
upon us, lighter
, and we will serve
thee.
And he said unto them, Depart
yet for three
days
, then come again
to me. And the people
departed
.
And king Rehoboam
consulted
with the old men
, that stood
before
Solomon
his father
while he yet lived
, and said
, How do ye advise
that I may
answer
this people
?
And they spake unto him, saying
, If thou wilt be a servant
unto this people
this day
, and wilt serve
them, and answer
them, and speak
good
words
to them, then they will be thy servants
for ever
.
But he forsook the counsel
of the old men
, which they had given
him, and consulted
with the young men
that were grown up
with him, and which stood
before
him:
And he said unto them, What counsel give
ye that we may
answer
this people
, who have spoken
to me, saying
, Make
the yoke
which thy father
did put
upon us lighter
?
And the young men that were grown up
with him spake
unto him, saying
, Thus shalt thou speak
unto this people
that spake
unto thee, saying
, Thy father
made
our yoke
heavy
, but make thou it lighter
unto us; thus shalt thou say
unto them, My little
finger shall be thicker
than my father's
loins
.
And now whereas my father did lade
you with a heavy
yoke
, I will add
to your yoke
: my father
hath chastised
you with whips
, but I will chastise
you with scorpions
.
So Jeroboam and all the people
came
to Rehoboam
the third
day
, as the king
had appointed
, saying
, Come to me again
the third
day
.
And the king answered
the people
roughly
, and forsook
the old men's
counsel
that they gave
him;
And spake to them after the counsel
of the young men
, saying
, My father
made
your yoke
heavy
, and I will add
to your yoke
: my father
also chastised
you with whips
, but I will chastise
you with scorpions
.
Wherefore the king hearkened
not unto the people
; for the cause
was from the LORD
, that he might perform
his saying
, which the LORD
spake
by
Ahijah
the Shilonite
unto Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
.
So when all Israel
saw
that the king
hearkened
not unto them, the people
answered
the king
, saying
, What portion
have we in David
? neither have we inheritance
in the son
of Jesse
: to your tents
, O Israel
: now see
to thine own house
, David
. So Israel
departed
unto their tents
.
But as for the children of Israel
which dwelt
in the cities
of Judah
, Rehoboam
reigned
over them.
Then king Rehoboam
sent
Adoram
, who was over the tribute
; and all Israel
stoned
him with stones
, that he died
. Therefore king
Rehoboam
made speed
to get him up
to his chariot
, to flee
to Jerusalem
.
So Israel rebelled
against the house
of David
unto this day
.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard
that Jeroboam
was come again
, that they sent
and called
him unto the congregation
, and made him king
over all Israel
: there was none that followed
the house
of David
, but
the tribe
of Judah
only.
And when Rehoboam was come
to Jerusalem
, he assembled
all the house
of Judah
, with the tribe
of Benjamin
, an hundred
and fourscore
thousand
chosen men
, which were warriors
, to fight
against the house
of Israel
, to bring
the kingdom
again
to Rehoboam
the son
of Solomon
.
But the word of God
came unto Shemaiah
the man
of God
, saying
,
Speak unto Rehoboam
, the son
of Solomon
, king
of Judah
, and unto all the house
of Judah
and Benjamin
, and to the remnant
of the people
, saying
,
Thus saith the LORD
, Ye shall not go up
, nor fight
against your brethren
the children
of Israel
: return
every man
to his house
; for this thing
is
from me. They hearkened
therefore to the word
of the LORD
, and returned
to depart
, according to the word
of the LORD
.
Then Jeroboam built
Shechem
in mount
Ephraim
, and dwelt
therein; and went out
from thence, and built
Penuel
.
And Jeroboam said
in his heart
, Now shall the kingdom
return
to the house
of David
:
If this people go up
to do
sacrifice
in the house
of the LORD
at Jerusalem
, then shall the heart
of this people
turn again
unto their lord
, even unto Rehoboam
king
of Judah
, and they shall kill
me, and go again
to Rehoboam
king
of Judah
.
Whereupon the king took counsel
, and made
two
calves
of gold
, and said
unto them, It is too much
for you to go up
to Jerusalem
: behold thy gods
, O Israel
, which brought thee up
out of the land
of Egypt
.
And he set the one
in Bethel
, and the other
put
he in Dan
.
And this thing became a sin
: for the people
went
to worship before
the one
, even unto Dan
.
And he made an house
of high places
, and made
priests
of the lowest
of the people
, which were not of the sons
of Levi
.
And Jeroboam ordained
a feast
in the eighth
month
, on the fifteenth
day
of the month
, like unto the feast
that is in Judah
, and he offered
upon the altar
. So did
he in Bethel
, sacrificing
unto the calves
that he had made
: and he placed
in Bethel
the priests
of the high places
which he had made
.
So he offered upon the altar
which he had made
in Bethel
the fifteenth
day
of the eighth
month
, even in the month
which he had devised
of his own heart
; and ordained
a feast
unto the children
of Israel
: and he offered
upon the altar
, and burnt incense
.