The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him.

1 ¶ And Rehoboamº went¹ª² to Shechem:º for² all² Israelº were comeºª to Shechemº to make him king.ºª² 2 And it came to pass,² when Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebat,º who² was yet² in Egypt,º heardºª [of it], (for² he was fledºª from the presenceº² of kingº Solomon,º and Jeroboamº dweltºª in Egypt;)º 3 That they sentºª and calledºª him. And Jeroboamº and all² the congregationº of Israelº came,ºª and spakeºª unto² Rehoboam,º saying,ºª 4 Thy fatherº made¹ª² our yokeº grievous:ºª now² therefore make thou² the grievousº serviceº² of thy father,º and his heavyº yokeº² which² he putºª upon² us, lighter,ºª and we will serveºª thee. 5 And he saidºª unto² them, Depart¹ª² yet² [for] threeº days,º then come againºª to² me. And the peopleº departed.¹ª²

Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, by the advice of young men, answereth them roughly.

6 ¶ And kingº Rehoboamº consultedºª with² the old men,º that² stoodºª² beforeº Solomonº his fatherº while² he yet lived,º and said,ºª How² do ye² adviseºª that I may¹ª answerº²² this² people?º 7 And they spakeºª unto² him, saying,ºª If² thou wilt be² a servantº unto this² peopleº this day,º and wilt serveºª them, and answerºª them, and speakºª goodº wordsº to² them, then they will be² thy servantsº for ever.º² 8 But he forsookºª² the counselº of the old men,º which² they had givenºª him, and consultedºª with² the young menº that² were grown upºª with² him, [and] which² stoodºª beforeº him: 9 And he saidºª unto² them, What² counsel² give¹ª ye² that we may¹ª answerº²² this² people,º who² have spokenºª to² me, saying,ºª Make¹ª the yokeº which² thy fatherº did putºª upon² us lighter?ºª 10 And the young menº that² were grown upºª with² him spakeºª unto² him, saying,ºª Thus² shalt thou speakºª unto this² peopleº that² spakeºª unto² thee, saying,ºª Thy fatherº made¹ª² our yokeº heavy,ºª but make thou² [it] lighterºª unto²² us; thus² shalt thou sayºª unto² them, My littleº [finger] shall be thickerºª than my father'sº loins.º² 11 And now² whereas my fatherº did ladeºª² you with a heavyº yoke,º I² will addºª to² your yoke:º my fatherº hath chastisedºª you with whips,º but I² will chastiseºª you with scorpions.º

12 ¶ So Jeroboamº and all² the peopleº cameºª to² Rehoboamº the thirdº day,º as² the kingº had appointed,ºª saying,ºª Come² to² me again¹ª the thirdº day.º 13 And the kingº answeredºª² the peopleº roughly,º and forsookºª² the old men'sº counselº that² they gaveºª him; 14 And spakeºª to² them after the counselº of the young men,º saying,ºª My fatherº made¹ª² your yokeº heavy,ºª and I² will addºª to² your yoke:º my fatherº [also] chastisedºª you with whips,º but I² will chastiseºª you with scorpions.º 15 Wherefore the kingº hearkenedºª not² unto² the people;º for² the causeº was² from²² the LORD,º that² he might performºª² his saying,º which² the LORDº spakeºª byº Ahijahº the Shiloniteº unto² Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebat.º

Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam to flee.

16 ¶ So¹ª when all² Israelº sawºª that² the kingº hearkenedºª not² unto² them, the peopleº answeredº²² the king,º saying,ºª What² portionº have we in David?º neither² [have we] inheritanceº in the sonº of Jesse:º to your tents,º O Israel:º now² seeºª to thine own house,º David.º So Israelº departed¹ª² unto their tents.º 17 But [as for] the childrenº of Israelº which dweltºª in the citiesº of Judah,º Rehoboamº reignedºª over² them. 18 Then kingº Rehoboamº sentºª² Adoram,º who² [was] over² the tribute;º and all² Israelº stonedºª him with stones,º that he died.ºª Therefore kingº Rehoboamº made speedºª to get him upºª to his chariot,º to fleeºª to Jerusalem.º 19 So Israelº rebelledºª against the houseº of Davidº unto² this² day.º 20 And it came to pass,² when all² Israelº heardºª that² Jeroboamº was come again,ºª that they sentºª and calledºª him unto² the congregation,º and made him kingºª² over² all² Israel:º there was² none² that followedº the houseº of David,º butº the tribeº of Judahº only.²

Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah.

21 ¶ And when Rehoboamº was comeºª to Jerusalem,º he assembledºª² all² the houseº of Judah,º with² the tribeº of Benjamin,º an hundredº and fourscoreº thousandº chosen² men,¹ª which were warriors,ººª to fightºª against² the houseº of Israel,º to bringºª² the kingdomº again¹ª to Rehoboamº the sonº of Solomon.º 22 But the wordº of Godº came² unto² Shemaiahº the manº of God,º saying,ºª 23 Speakºª unto² Rehoboam,º the sonº of Solomon,º kingº of Judah,º and unto² all² the houseº of Judahº and Benjamin,º and to the remnantº of the people,º saying,ºª 24 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Ye shall not² go up,ºª nor² fightºª against² your brethrenº the childrenº of Israel:º returnºª every manº to his house;º for² this² thingº isºª from²² me. They hearkenedºª therefore² to the wordº of the LORD,º and returnedºª to depart,¹ª² according to the wordº of the LORD.º

Jeroboam strengtheneth himself by cities,

25 ¶ Then Jeroboamº builtºª² Shechemº in mountº Ephraim,º and dweltºª therein; and went outºª from thence,²² and builtºª² Penuel.º

and by the idolatry of the two calves.

26 And Jeroboamº saidºª in his heart,º Now² shall the kingdomº returnºª to the houseº of David:º 27 If² this² peopleº go upºª to doºª sacrificeº in the houseº of the LORDº at Jerusalem,º then shall the heartº of this² peopleº turn againºª unto² their lord,º [even] unto² Rehoboamº kingº of Judah,º and they shall killºª me, and go againºª to² Rehoboamº kingº of Judah.º 28 Whereupon the kingº took counsel,ºª and madeºª twoº calvesº [of] gold,º and saidºª unto² them, It is too muchº for you to go upºª² to Jerusalem:º behold² thy gods,º O Israel,º which² brought² thee up¹ª out of the landº² of Egypt.º 29 And he setºª² the oneº in Bethel,º and the otherº putºª he in Dan.º 30 And this² thingº became² a sin:º for the peopleº went¹ª² [to worship] beforeº the one,º [even] unto² Dan.º 31 And he madeºª² an houseº of high places,º and madeºª priestsº of the lowestº² of the people,º which² were² not² of the sonsº² of Levi.º 32 And Jeroboamº ordainedºª a feastº in the eighthº month,º on the fifteenthºº dayº of the month,º like unto the feastº that² [is] in Judah,º and he offeredºª upon² the altar.º So² didºª he in Bethel,º sacrificingºª unto the calvesº that² he had made:ºª and he placedºª in Bethelº² the priestsº of the high placesº which² he had made.ºª 33 So he offeredºª upon² the altarº which² he had madeºª in Bethelº the fifteenthºº dayº of the eighthº month,º [even] in the monthº which² he had devisedºª of his own heart;º² and ordainedºª a feastº unto the childrenº of Israel:º and he offeredºª upon² the altar,º and burnt incense.ºª