1 Kings 11:26–12:24

26 Now Solomon’s servant,m Jeroboam son of Nebat, was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His widowed mother’s name was Zeruah. Jeroboam rebelledn against Solomon, 27 and this is the reason he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraceso and repaired the opening in the wall of the city of his father David. 28 Now the man Jeroboam was capable, and Solomon noticed the young man because he was getting things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force of the house of Joseph.p

29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shiloniteq met Jeroboam on the road as Jeroboam came out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into twelve pieces,r 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes, 32 but one tribe will remain his for the sake of my servant Davids and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.t 33 For they have abandoned me; they have bowed down to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Milcom, the god of the Ammonites.u They have not walked in my ways to do what is right in my sight and to carry out my statutes and my judgments as his father David did.v

34 “ ‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom from him but will let him be ruler all the days of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who kept my commands and my statutes. 35 I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from his son and give them to you. 36 I will give one tribew to his son,x so that my servant David will always have a lampC before mey in Jerusalem, the city I chose for myself to put my name there.z 37 I will appoint you,aa and you will reign as kingab over all you want,ac and you will be king over Israel.

38 “ ‘After that, if you obey all I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in my sight in order to keep my statutes and my commands as my servant David did, I will be with you.a I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David,b and I will give you Israel. 39 I will humble David’s descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.’ ”D,c

40 Therefore, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam,d but he fled to Egypt,e to King Shishak of Egypt,f where he remained until Solomon’s death.

SOLOMON’S DEATH

41 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and his wisdom, are written in the Book of Solomon’s Events.g 42 The length of Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem over all Israel totaled forty years.h 43 Solomon rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboami became king in his place.j

THE KINGDOM DIVIDED

12 Then Rehoboamk went to Shechem,l for all Israelm had gone to Shechem to make him king.n 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he stayed in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence.o Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.* 3 But they summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: 4 “Your father made our yoke harsh.p You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us,q and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam replied, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the eldersr who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?”

7 They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to this people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”s

8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised himt and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and attended him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’ ”* u

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”

15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lordv to carry out his word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.w 16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:

What portion do we have in David?

We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.x

Israel, return to your tents;

David, now look after your own house!y

So Israel went to their tents, 17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.z

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram,* aa who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 Israel is still in rebellion against the house of David today.ab

REHOBOAM IN JERUSALEM

20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back,ac they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel.ad No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.ae 21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem,af he mobilized one hundred eighty thousand fit young soldiers from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjaminag to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah,ah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you return home, for this situation is from me.’ ”a

So they listened to the word of the Lord and went back according to the word of the Lord.