“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.” (1 Kings 12:1-33 AV)
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