²It happened that Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it while he was still in Egypt where he had fled from the face of King Solomon, and Jeroboam had lived in Egypt. ³So they sent and summoned him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came. Then they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴“Your father made our yoke heavy; now lighten the hard labor of your father and the heavy yoke which he placed on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵He said, “Go up for three days and then return to me”; so the people went away.

Rehoboam Seeks Counsel to Respond

⁶Then King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had been serving^a before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, “How are you advising me to answer this people?”^b ⁷They said to him, “If you will be a servant today to this people, then you will serve them; and if you answer them and speak good words to them, they will always be your servants.” ⁸But he rejected the advice of the old men, which they gave him, and he consulted with the youngsters who had grown up with him, who were serving^c before him.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “standing”
bLiterally “to return a word to this people”
cLiterally “standing”