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.
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