The Revolt Against Rehoboam
1 AndRehoboam went toShechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
2 So it happened, whenJeroboam the son of Nebat heardit(he was still inEgypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt ),
3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Your father made ouryoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 So he said to them, “Departforthree days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advisemeto answer these people?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying,“If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you makeitlighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My littlefingershall be thicker than my father’s waist!
11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;
14 and he spoke to them according to the advice 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 scourges!”
15 So the king did not listen to the people; forthe turnofeventswas from theLord, that He might fulfill His word, which theLordhadspoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
# “What share have we in David?
Wehaveno inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.
17 But Rehoboam reigned overthe children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboamsent Adoram, whowasin charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
19 SoIsrael has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over allIsrael. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judahonly.
21 And whenRehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe ofBenjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosenmenwho were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 Butthe word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24 ‘Thus says theLord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house,for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of theLord, and turned back, according to the word of theLord.
Jeroboam’s Gold Calves
25 Then Jeroboambuilt Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and builtPenuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
27 If these peoplego up to offer sacrifices in the house of theLordat Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28 Therefore the king asked advice,made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”
29 And he set up one inBethel, and the other he put inDan.
30 Now this thing becamea sin, for the people wenttoworshipbefore the one as far as Dan.
31 He made shrines on the high places,and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, likethe feast thatwasin Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made.And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he haddevised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar andburned incense.