1 Kings 12

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

11Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to 2Shechem to make him king. 2Now 3when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, 4he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“5Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5Then he said to them, “6Depart 7for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

6King Rehoboam 8consulted with the elders who had 9served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7Then they spoke to him, saying, “10If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and 11grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him 12and served him. 9So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had 13directed, saying, “14Return to me on the third day.” 13The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had 15given him, 14and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “16My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people; 17for it was a turn of events from the Lord, 18that He might establish His word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

16When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; 19To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their tents. 17But 20as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then King Rehoboam sent 21Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him 22to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 1923So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. 24None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

2125Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to 26Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the 27rest of the people, saying, 24‘Thus says the Lord, “You must not go up and fight against your 28relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, 29for this thing has come from Me.”’” So they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned and went their way according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

25Then 30Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived 31there. And he went out from there and built 32Penuel. 26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 2733If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28So the king 34consulted, and 35made two golden 36calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; 37behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29He set 38one in 39Bethel, and the other he put in 40Dan. 30Now 41this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31And 42he made houses on high places, and 43made priests from among 44all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. 32Jeroboam 45instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, 46like the feast which is in Judah, and he 47went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel 48the priests of the high places which he had made. 33Then he 49went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had 5051devised 52in his own heart; and he 53instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and 54went up to the altar 55to burn 56incense.