1 Kings 12
1. And Rehoboam went * to Shechem:for all Israel were come * to Shechem to make him king * .
2. 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;)
3. That they sent * and called * him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came * , and spake * unto Rehoboam, saying * ,
4. 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.
5. And he said * unto them, Depart * yet for three days, then come again * to me. And the people departed * .
6. 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?
7. 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.
8. 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:
9. 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 * ?
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. And the king answered * the people roughly, and forsook * the old men's counsel that they gave * him;
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt * in the cities of Judah,Rehoboam reigned * over them.
18. 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.
19. So Israel rebelled * against the house of David unto this day.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying * ,
23. 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 * ,
24. 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.
25. Then Jeroboam built * Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt * therein; and went out * from thence, and built * Penuel.
26. And Jeroboam said * in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return * to the house of David:
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. And he set * the one in Bethel,and the other put * he in Dan.
30. And this thing became a sin: for the people went * to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31. 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.
32. 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 * .
33. 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 * .
