1 Kings 12

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

11Then RehoboamH7346 wentH1980 to ShechemH7927, becauseH3588 allH3605 IsraelH3478 had comeH935 to 2ShechemH7927 to makeH4427 him kingH4427. 2Now 3when JeroboamH3379 the sonH1121 of NebatH5028 heardH8085 about this, 4he was livingH3427 in EgyptH4714 (for he was stillH5750 in EgyptH4714, whereH834 he had fledH1272 from the presenceH6440 of KingH4428 SolomonH8010). 3Then they sentH7971 word and summonedH7121 him, and JeroboamH3379 and allH3605 the assemblyH6951 of IsraelH3478 cameH935 and spokeH1696 to RehoboamH7346, sayingH559, 4“5Your fatherH1 madeH7185 our yokeH5923 hardH7185; but nowH6258, lightenH7043 the hardH7186 laborH5656 imposed by your fatherH1 and his heavyH3515 yokeH5923 whichH834 he putH5414 on us, and we will serveH5647 you.” 5Then he saidH559 to them, “6DepartH1980 7for threeH7969 daysH3117, then returnH7725 to me.” So the peopleH5971 departedH1980.

6And KingH4428 RehoboamH7346 8consultedH3289 with the eldersH2205 whoH834 hadH1961 9servedH5975H6440 his fatherH1 SolomonH8010 while he was still aliveH2416, sayingH559, “HowH349 do you adviseH3289 me to answerH7725H1697 thisH2088 peopleH5971?” 7Then they spokeH1696 to him, sayingH559, “10IfH518 you will be a servantH5650 to thisH2088 peopleH5971 todayH3117, and will serveH5647 them and 11grantH6030 them their requestH6030, and speakH1696 pleasantH2896 wordsH1697 to them, then they will be your servantsH5650 alwaysH3605H3117.” 8But he ignoredH5800 the adviceH6098 of the eldersH2205 whichH834 they had givenH3289 him, and consultedH3289 with the youngH3206 menH3206 whoH834 had grownH1431 upH1431 with him 12and servedH5975H6440 him. 9He saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 adviceH3289 do you giveH3289, so that we may answerH7725H1697 thisH2088 peopleH5971 whoH834 have spokenH1696 to me, sayingH559, ‘LightenH7043 the yokeH5923 whichH834 your fatherH1 putH5414 on us’?” 10And the youngH3206 menH3206 whoH834 had grownH1431 upH1431 with him spokeH1696 to him, sayingH559, “ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 you should sayH559 to thisH2088 peopleH5971 whoH834 spokeH1696 to you, sayingH559: ‘Your fatherH1 madeH3513 our yokeH5923 heavyH3513, now you makeH7043 it lighterH7043 for us!’ You should speakH1696 thisH3541 wayH3541 to them: ‘My littleH6995 fingerH6995 is thickerH5666 thanH4480 my father’sH1 waistH4975! 11NowH6258 then, my fatherH1 loadedH6006 you with a heavyH3515 yokeH5923; yet I will addH3254 to your yokeH5923. My fatherH1 disciplinedH3256 you with whipsH7752, but I will disciplineH3256 you with 13scorpionsH6137!’”

12Then JeroboamH3379 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 cameH935 to RehoboamH7346 on the thirdH7992 dayH3117, justH3512 asH3512 the kingH4428 had 14directedH1696, sayingH559, “15ReturnH7725 to me on the thirdH7992 dayH3117.” 13And the kingH4428 answeredH6030 the peopleH5971 harshlyH7186, for he ignoredH5800 the adviceH6098 of the eldersH2205 whichH834 they had 16givenH3289 him, 14and he spokeH1696 to them according to the adviceH6098 of the youngH3206 menH3206, sayingH559, “17My fatherH1 madeH3513 your yokeH5923 heavyH3513, but I will addH3254 to your yokeH5923; my fatherH1 disciplinedH3256 you with whipsH7752, but I will disciplineH3256 you with 18scorpionsH6137!” 15So the kingH4428 did not listenH8085 to the peopleH5971; 19becauseH3588 it was 20a turnH5438 ofH5438 eventsH5438 from the LordH3068, 21inH4616 orderH4616 toH4616 establishH6965 His wordH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 spokeH1696 throughH3027 AhijahH281 the ShiloniteH7888 to JeroboamH3379 the sonH1121 of NebatH5028.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

16When allH3605 IsraelH3478 saw that the kingH4428 had not listenedH8085 to them, the peopleH5971 repliedH7725H1697 to the kingH4428, sayingH559, “WhatH4100 shareH2506 do we have in DavidH1732? We have noH3808 inheritanceH5159 in the sonH1121 of JesseH3448; 22To your tentsH168, IsraelH3478! NowH6258 lookH7200 after your own houseH1004, DavidH1732!” So IsraelH3478 wentH1980 away to their tentsH168. 17But 23as for the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 who livedH3427 in the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, RehoboamH7346 reignedH4427 overH5921 them. 18Then KingH4428 RehoboamH7346 sentH7971 24AdoramH151, whoH834 was inH5921 chargeH5921 ofH5921 the forcedH4522 laborH4522, and allH3605 IsraelH3478 stonedH7275H68 him 25to deathH4191. And KingH4428 RehoboamH7346 hurriedH553 to mountH5927 his chariotH4818 to fleeH5127 to JerusalemH3389. 1926So IsraelH3478 has brokenH6586 withH6586 the houseH1004 of DavidH1732 to thisH2088 dayH3117.

20And it cameH1961 aboutH1961, when allH3605 IsraelH3478 heardH8085 that JeroboamH3379 had returnedH7725, that they sentH7971 word and calledH7121 him to the assemblyH5712, and madeH4427 him kingH4427 overH5921 allH3605 IsraelH3478. 27NoneH3808 exceptH2108 the tribeH7626 of JudahH3063 aloneH905 followedH310 the houseH1004 of DavidH1732.

2128Now when RehoboamH7346 had comeH935 to JerusalemH3389, he assembledH6950 allH3605 the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 and the tribeH7626 of BenjaminH1144, 180,000H3967H8084H505 chosenH977 warriorsH6213H4421, to fightH3898 againstH5973 the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478 to restoreH7725 the kingdomH4410 to RehoboamH7346 the sonH1121 of SolomonH8010. 22But the wordH1697 of GodH430 cameH1961 to 29ShemaiahH8098 the manH376 of GodH430, sayingH559, 23“TellH559 RehoboamH7346 the sonH1121 of SolomonH8010, kingH4428 of JudahH3063, and allH3605 the houseH1004 of JudahH3063 and BenjaminH1144, and the 30restH3499 of the peopleH5971, sayingH559, 24‘ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: “You shall not goH5927 upH5927 norH3808 fightH3898 againstH5973 your relativesH251 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; returnH7725, everyH376 manH376 to his houseH1004, 31for thisH2088 thingH1697 has comeH1961 from Me.”’” So they listenedH8085 to the wordH1697 of the LordH3068, and returnedH7725 to goH1980 their way in accordance with the wordH1697 of the LordH3068.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

25Then 32JeroboamH3379 builtH1129 ShechemH7927 in the hillH2022 countryH2022 of EphraimH669, and livedH3427 33there. And he wentH3318 outH3318 from thereH8033 and builtH1129 34PenuelH6439. 26And JeroboamH3379 saidH559 in his heartH3820, “NowH6258 the kingdomH4467 will returnH7725 to the houseH1004 of DavidH1732. 2735IfH518 thisH2088 peopleH5971 goH5927 upH5927 to 36offerH6213 sacrificesH2077 in the houseH1004 of the LordH3068 in JerusalemH3389, then the heartH3820 of thisH2088 peopleH5971 will returnH7725 to their lordH113, to RehoboamH7346 kingH4428 of JudahH3063; and they will killH2026 me and returnH7725 to RehoboamH7346 kingH4428 of JudahH3063.” 28So the kingH4428 37consultedH3289, and he 38madeH6213 twoH8147 goldenH2091 39calvesH5695; and he saidH559 to 40the people, “It is tooH4480 muchH7227 for you to goH5927 upH5927 to JerusalemH3389; 41beholdH2009 your godsH430, IsraelH3478, that broughtH5927 you upH5927 from the landH776 of EgyptH4714.” 29And he setH7760 upH7760 42oneH259 in 43BethelH1008, and the otherH259 he putH5414 in 44DanH1835. 30Now 45thisH2088 thingH1697 becameH1961 a sinH2403, for the peopleH5971 wentH1980 to worship beforeH6440 the oneH259 as farH5704 as DanH1835. 31And 46he madeH6213 housesH1004 on highH1116 placesH1116, and 4748appointedH6213 priestsH3548 from 49allH7098 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were not of the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878. 32JeroboamH3379 also 50institutedH6213 a feastH2282 in the eighthH8066 monthH2320 on the fifteenthH2568H6240 dayH3117 of the monthH2320, 51like the feastH2282 that is in JudahH3063, and he 52wentH5927 upH5927 to the altarH4196. SoH3651 he didH6213 in BethelH1008, sacrificingH2076 to the calvesH5695 whichH834 he had madeH6213. And he stationedH5975 in BethelH1008 53the priestsH3548 of the highH1116 placesH1116 whichH834 he had madeH6213. 33Then he 54wentH5927 upH5927 to the altarH4196 whichH834 he had madeH6213 in BethelH1008 on the fifteenthH2568H6240 dayH3117 in the eighthH8066 monthH2320, the monthH2320 that he had 5556devisedH908 57in his own heartH3820; and he 58institutedH6213 a feastH2282 for the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 and 59wentH5927 upH5927 to the altarH4196 60to burnH6999 61incenseH6999.