2 Chronicles 10–11

And ^aRehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. ²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, ^bwhither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. ³And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. ⁵And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. ⁶And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? ⁷And they spake unto him, saying, ^cIf thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. ⁸But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. ⁹And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? ¹⁰And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I ^dwill chastise you with scorpions. ¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. ¹³And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, ¹⁴and answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I ^dwill chastise you with scorpions. ¹⁵So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of ^eAhijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying,

What portion have we in David?

And we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse:

Every man to your tents, O Israel:

And now, David, see to thine own house.

So all Israel went to their tents. ¹⁷But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸Then king Rehoboam sent ^fHadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

XI.And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. ²But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ³Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all ^aIsrael in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ⁴Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against ^aayour brethren: return every man to his house, for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built ^bcities for defence in Judah. ⁶He built even ^cBeth-lehem, and ^dEtam, and ^eTekoa, ⁷and ^fBeth-zur, and ^gShoco, and ^hAdullam, ⁸and ⁱGath, and ^kMareshah, and ^lZiph, ⁹and ^mAdoraim, and ⁿLachish, and ^oAzekah, ¹⁰and ^pZorah, and ^qAijalon, and ^rHebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fenced cities. ¹¹And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. ¹²And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. ¹³And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. ¹⁴For the Levites left ^stheir suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons ^thad cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the Lord: ¹⁵and he ordained him ^upriests for the high places, and for ^xthe devils, and for ^ythe calves which he had made. ^16zAnd after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. ¹⁷So they ^astrengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

¹⁸And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of ^bEliab the son of Jesse; ¹⁹which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. ²⁰And after her he took ^cMaachah the daughter of ^dAbsalom; which bare him ^eAbijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.) ²²And ^fRehoboam made ^eAbijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. ²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them ^gvictual in abundance. And he ^hdesired many wives.

XII.