1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to
make him king.
1Ki 12:2 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;)
1Ki 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of
Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
1Ki 12:4 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.
1Ki 12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to
me. And the people departed.
1Ki 12:6 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?
1Ki 12:7 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.
1Ki 12:8 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:
1Ki 12:9 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?
1Ki 12:10 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.
1Ki 12:11 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.
1Ki 12:12 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.
1Ki 12:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's
counsel that they gave him;
1Ki 12:14 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.
1Ki 12:15 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.
1Ki 12:16 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.
1Ki 12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah,
Rehoboam reigned over them.
1Ki 12:18 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.
1Ki 12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
1Ki 12:20 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.
1Ki 12:21 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.
1Ki 12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
1Ki 12:23 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,
1Ki 12:24 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.
1Ki 12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and
went out from thence, and built Penuel.
1Ki 12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the
house of David:
1Ki 12:27 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.
1Ki 12:28 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.
1Ki 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
1Ki 12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the
one, even unto Dan.
1Ki 12:31 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.
1Ki 12:32 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.
1Ki 12:33 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.