The First Book of Kings (WEB)
12: 1Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 12:2It
happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled
from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, 12:3and they sent and called him),
that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 12:4Your father
made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his
heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you. 12:5He said to them, Depart yet for
three days, then come again to me. The people departed. 12:6King Rehoboam took counsel with the
old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give
you me to return answer to this people? 12:7They spoke to him, saying, If you will be a servant to
this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then
they will be your servants forever. 12:8But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had
given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before
him. 12:9He said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who
have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father did put on us lighter? 12:10The young
men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you tell this people who spoke
to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but make you it lighter to us; thus shall you
speak to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. 12:11Now whereas my father did
lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will
chastise you with scorpions. 12:12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day,
as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. 12:13The king answered the people
roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, 12:14and spoke to them
after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to
your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12:15So the
king didn't listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh, that he might establish
his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 12:16When all
Israel saw that the king didn't listen to 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, Israel: now see to
your own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents. 12:17But as for the children of Israel who
lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 12:18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram,
who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King
Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 12:19So Israel rebelled
against the house of David to this day. 12:20It happened, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was
returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel:
there was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 12:21When Rehoboam
was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred
and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring
the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 12:22But the word of God came to Shemaiah
the man of God, saying, 12:23Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the
house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 12:24Thus says Yahweh, You
shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel: return every man to his
house; for this thing is of me. So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned and went their
way, according to the word of Yahweh. 12:25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of
Ephraim, and lived therein; and he went out from there, and built Penuel. 12:26Jeroboam said in his
heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of David: 12:27if this people go up to offer
sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn again to
their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king
of Judah. 12:28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them,
It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of
the land of Egypt. 12:29He set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 12:30This thing became a
sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. 12:31He made houses of high
places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
12:32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast
that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; so did he in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he
had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 12:33He went 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 devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel,
and went up to the altar, to burn incense.
World English Bible