1 Kings 12

1And RehoboamH7346 wentH935 to ShechemH7927: for all IsraelH3478 were comeH935 to ShechemH7927 to make him kingH4427. 2And it came to pass, when JeroboamH3379 the sonH1121 of NebatH5028 heardH8085 of it (for he wasH1961 yetH5750 in EgyptH4714, whither he had fledH1272 from the presenceH6440 of kingH4428 SolomonH8010, and JeroboamH3379 dweltH3427 in EgyptH4714, 3and they sentH7971 and calledH7121 him), that JeroboamH3379 and all the assemblyH6951 of IsraelH3478 cameH935, and spake unto RehoboamH7346, sayingH559, 4Thy fatherH1 madeH5414 our yokeH5923 grievous: nowH6258 thereforeH6258 makeH5414 thou the grievous serviceH5656 of thy fatherH1, and his heavyH3515 yokeH5923 which he putH5414 upon us, lighter, and we will serveH5647 thee. 5And he saidH559 unto them, Depart yetH5750 for threeH7969 daysH3117, then come againH5750 to me. And the peopleH5971 departed.

6And kingH4428 RehoboamH7346 took counselH3289 with the oldH2205 men, that had stoodH5975 before SolomonH8010 his fatherH1 while he yet lived, sayingH559, What counselH3289 give ye me to returnH7725 answer to this peopleH5971? 7And they spake unto him, sayingH559, If thou wilt beH1961 a servantH5650 unto this peopleH5971 this dayH3117, and wilt serveH5647 them, and answerH6030 them, and speakH1696 goodH2896 wordsH1697 to them, then they will beH1961 thy servantsH5650 for ever. 8But he forsook the counselH6098 of the oldH2205 menH2205 which they had given him, and took counselH6098 with the youngH3206 menH2205 that were grownH1431 up with him, that stoodH5975 before him. 9And he saidH559 unto them, What counselH3289 giveH5414 ye, that we may returnH7725 answer to this peopleH5971, who have spokenH1696 to me, sayingH559, MakeH5414 the yokeH5923 that thy fatherH1 did putH5414 upon us lighter? 10And the youngH3206 men that were grownH1431 up with him spake unto him, sayingH559, ThusH3541 shalt thou sayH559 unto this peopleH5971 that spake unto thee, sayingH559, Thy fatherH1 madeH3513 our yokeH5923 heavyH3513, but makeH1431 thou it lighter unto us; thusH3541 shalt thou speakH1696 unto them, My littleH6995 fingerH6995 is thicker than my father’sH1 loinsH4975. 11And nowH6258 whereas my fatherH1 did lade you with a heavyH3515 yokeH5923, I will addH3254 to your yokeH5923: my fatherH1 chastised you with whipsH7752, but I will chastise you with scorpionsH6137.

12So JeroboamH3379 and all the peopleH5971 cameH935 to RehoboamH7346 the thirdH7992 dayH3117, as the kingH4428 bade, sayingH559, ComeH935 to me again the thirdH7992 dayH3117. 13And the kingH4428 answeredH6030 the peopleH5971 roughly, and forsook the counselH6098 of the oldH2205 men which they had given him, 14and spake to them after the counselH6098 of the youngH3206 men, sayingH559, My fatherH1 madeH3513 your yokeH5923 heavyH3513, but I will addH3254 to your yokeH5923: my fatherH1 chastised you with whipsH7752, but I will chastise you with scorpionsH6137. 15So the kingH4428 hearkened not unto the peopleH5971; for it wasH1961 a thingH1697 brought about of Jehovah, that he might establishH6965 his wordH1697, which Jehovah spake by AhijahH281 the ShiloniteH7888 to JeroboamH3379 the sonH1121 of NebatH5028.

16And when all IsraelH3478 sawH7200 that the kingH4428 hearkened not unto them, the peopleH5971 answered the kingH4428, sayingH559, What portionH2506 have we in DavidH1732? neither have we inheritanceH5159 in the sonH1121 of JesseH3448: to your tentsH168, O IsraelH3478: nowH6258 seeH7200 to thine own houseH1004, DavidH1732. So IsraelH3478 departed unto their tentsH168. 17But as for the children of IsraelH3478 that dweltH3427 in the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, RehoboamH7346 reignedH4427 over them. 18Then kingH4428 RehoboamH7346 sentH7971 AdoramH151, who was over the men subject to taskwork; and all IsraelH3478 stonedH7275 him to deathH4191 with stonesH68. And kingH4428 RehoboamH7346 madeH553 speed to get him up to his chariotH4818, to fleeH5127 to JerusalemH3389. 19So IsraelH3478 rebelledH6586 against the houseH1004 of DavidH1732 unto this dayH3117. 20And it came to pass, when all IsraelH3478 heardH8085 that JeroboamH3379 wasH1961 returnedH7725, that they sentH7971 and calledH7121 him unto the congregationH5712, and made him kingH4427 over all IsraelH3478: there wasH1961 none that followed the houseH1004 of DavidH1732, but the tribeH7626 of JudahH3063 onlyH905.

21And when RehoboamH7346 was comeH935 to JerusalemH3389, he assembledH6950 all the houseH1004 of JudahH3063, and the tribeH7626 of BenjaminH1144, a hundredH3967 and fourscore thousandH505 chosen menH970, that were warriors, to fightH3898 against the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478, to bringH935 the kingdom again to RehoboamH7346 the sonH1121 of SolomonH8010. 22But the wordH1697 of GodH430 came unto ShemaiahH8098 the manH376 of GodH430, sayingH559, 23Speak unto RehoboamH7346 the sonH1121 of SolomonH8010, kingH4428 of JudahH3063, and unto all the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 and BenjaminH1144, and to the restH3499 of the peopleH5971, sayingH559, 24ThusH3541 saith Jehovah, Ye shall not goH5927 up, nor fightH3898 against your brethren the children of IsraelH3478: returnH7725 every manH376 to his houseH1004; for this thingH1697 is of me. So they hearkened unto the wordH1697 of Jehovah, and returnedH7725 and wentH5927 their way, according to the wordH1697 of Jehovah.

25Then JeroboamH3379 builtH1129 ShechemH7927 in the hill-country of EphraimH669, and dweltH3427 therein; and he wentH3318 out from thence, and builtH1129 PenuelH6439. 26And JeroboamH3379 saidH559 in his heartH3820, NowH6258 will the kingdomH4467 returnH7725 to the houseH1004 of DavidH1732: 27if this peopleH5971 goH5927 up to offerH5927 sacrificesH2077 in the houseH1004 of Jehovah at JerusalemH3389, then will the heartH3820 of this peopleH5971 turnH7725 again unto their lord, even unto RehoboamH7346 kingH4428 of JudahH3063; and they will killH2026 me, and returnH7725 to RehoboamH7346 kingH4428 of JudahH3063. 28Whereupon the kingH4428 took counselH3289, and madeH6213 twoH8147 calvesH5695 of goldH2091; and he saidH559 unto them, It is tooH7227 muchH7227 for you to goH5927 up to JerusalemH3389: behold thy godsH430, O IsraelH3478, which broughtH5927 thee up out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714. 29And he setH7760 the oneH259 in Beth-el, and the other putH5414 he in DanH1835. 30And this thingH1697 becameH1961 a sinH2403; for the peopleH5971 went to worship before the oneH259, even unto DanH1835. 31And he madeH6213 housesH1004 of highH1116 placesH1116, and madeH6213 priestsH3548 from among all the peopleH5971, that were not of the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878. 32And JeroboamH3379 ordained a feastH2282 in the eighthH8066 monthH2320, on the fifteenth dayH3117 of the monthH2320, like unto the feastH2282 that is in JudahH3063, and he wentH5927 up unto the altarH4196; soH3651 did he in Beth-el, sacrificingH2076 unto the calvesH5695 that he had madeH6213: and he placed in Beth-el the priestsH3548 of the highH1116 placesH1116 that he had madeH6213. 33And he wentH5927 up unto the altarH4196 which he had madeH6213 in Beth-el on the fifteenth dayH3117 in the eighthH8066 monthH2320, even in the monthH2320 which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feastH2282 for the children of IsraelH3478, and wentH5927 up unto the altarH4196, to burn incenseH6999.