1 Kings 12:1–24

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

^1aThen Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to ^bShechem to make him king.

²Now ^awhen Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, ¹he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).

³Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴“^aYour father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵Then he said to them, “^aDepart ¹for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

⁶King Rehoboam ^aconsulted with the elders who had ¹served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”

⁷Then they spoke to him, saying, “^aIf you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and ¹grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

⁸But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him ¹and served him.

⁹So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

¹⁰The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

¹¹‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”

¹²Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had ¹directed, saying, “^aReturn to me on the third day.”

¹³The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had ¹given him,

¹⁴and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “^aMy father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

¹⁵So the king did not listen to the people; ^afor it was a turn of events from the Lord, ^bthat He might establish His word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying,

“What portion do we have in David?

We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;

^aTo your tents, O Israel!

Now look after your own house, David!”

So Israel departed to their tents.

¹⁷But ^aas for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent ^aAdoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him ¹to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

^19aSo Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

²⁰It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. ^aNone but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

^21aNow when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

²²But the word of God came to ^aShemaiah the man of God, saying,

²³“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the ^arest of the people, saying,

²⁴‘Thus says the Lord, “You must not go up and fight against your ¹relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, ^afor this thing has come from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned and went their way according to the word of the Lord.