1 Kings 12

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

2It came about when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard—for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon—that Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt.

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

4Your father made our yoke harsh; now lighten your father's harsh service and his heavy yoke that he placed on us, and we will serve you.

5He said to them, "Go for three more days, then return to me." The people went away.

6King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had stood before Solomon his father while he was still alive, saying, "How do you advise me to respond to this people?"

7They spoke to him, saying, "If today you become a servant to this people, serve them, answer them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants always."

8He abandoned the counsel of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9He said to them, "What advice are you giving that we answer this people who spoke to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"

10The youths reared with him spoke to him, saying, "Say this to the people who told you, 'Your father weighed our yoke down heavily, but you, lighten it for us'; tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.'"

11Now my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.

12Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had said, "Return to me on the third day."

13The king answered the people harshly and abandoned the elders' counsel that they had advised him.

14He spoke to them according to the young men's advice, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will increase your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

15The king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from Yahweh to establish his word, which Yahweh spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

16When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people replied to the king: "What share do we have in David? Nor inheritance in Jesse's son. To your tents, Israel! See now to your house, David." Then Israel went to their tents.

17Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel living in the cities of Judah.

18King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him with a stone until he died. Then King Rehoboam braced himself to mount the chariot and flee to Jerusalem.

19Israel rebelled against David's house to this day.

20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel; none followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.

21Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and mustered the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam, Solomon's son.

22God's word came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remainder of the people, saying,

24Yahweh says: Do not go up, nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel; return, every man to his house, for from me this matter has arisen. They heeded the word of Yahweh, turned back, and set out according to the word of Yahweh.

25Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and settled there; then he departed from it and built Penuel.

26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.”

27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.

28The king took advice and made two golden calves, and said to them, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you—behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

29He set the one in Bethel and put the other in Dan.

30This matter became sin, and the people went before the one to Dan.

31He made shrines on the high places and appointed priests from all ranks of the people, who were not sons of Levi.

32Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast in Judah, and went up to the altar. He did likewise in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made, and stationed there the priests of the high places he had built.

33He went up to the altar he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month he had devised from his own heart, and made a feast for the sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.