1 A2 Chr 10:1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to BJudg 9:6Shechem to make him king. 2 Now A1 Kin 11:26, 40when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, 1Lit Jeroboamhe was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3 Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “A1 Sam 8:11-18; 1 Kin 4:7, 21-25; 9:15Your 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.” 5 Then he said to them, “A1 Kin 12:12Depart 1Lit yet threefor three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

6 King Rehoboam A1 Kin 4:1-6; Job 12:12; 32:7consulted with the elders who had 1Lit stood beforeserved his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7 Then they spoke to him, saying, “A2 Chr 10:7; Prov 15:1If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and 1Lit answer themgrant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him 1Lit who stood beforeand served him. 9 So 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’?” 10 The 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.’ ”

12 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had 1Lit spokendirected, saying, “A1 Kin 12:5Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had 1Lit advisedgiven him, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “AEx 1:13, 14; 5:5-9, 16-18My 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.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; ADeut 2:30; Judg 14:4; 1 Kin 12:24; 2 Chr 10:15for it was a turn of events from the Loʀᴅ, B1 Kin 11:11, 31that He might establish His word, which the Loʀᴅ spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

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

So Israel departed to their tents. 17 But A1 Kin 11:13, 36as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent A2 Sam 20:24; 1 Kin 4:6; 5:14Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him 1Lit with stones that he diedto death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 A2 Kin 17:21So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 It 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. A1 Kin 11:13, 32, 36None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

21 A2 Chr 11:1Now 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. 22 But the word of God came to A2 Chr 11:2; 12:5-7Shemaiah 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 A1 Kin 12:17rest of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says the Loʀᴅ, “You must not go up and fight against your 1Lit brothersrelatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, A1 Kin 12:15for this thing has come from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the word of the Loʀᴅ, and returned and went their way according to the word of the Loʀᴅ.

25 Then AGen 12:6; Judg 9:45-49Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived 1Lit in itthere. And he went out from there and built BGen 32:30, 31; Judg 8:8, 17Penuel. 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27  “ADeut 12:5-7, 14If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Loʀᴅ at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 So the king 1Lit took counselconsulted, and A2 Kin 10:29; 17:16; Hos 8:4-7made two golden BHos 10:5calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; CEx 32:4, 8behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 He set AHos 10:5one in BGen 28:19Bethel, and the other he put in CJudg 18:26-31Dan. 30 Now A1 Kin 13:34; 2 Kin 17:21this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 And A1 Kin 13:32he made houses on high places, and B1 Kin 13:33; 2 Kin 17:32; 2 Chr 11:15; 13:9made priests from among 1Or extremities ofall the people who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam 1Lit madeinstituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, ALev 23:33, 34; Num 29:12; 1 Kin 8:2, 5like the feast which is in Judah, and he 2Or offered uponwent up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel BAmos 7:10-13the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 Then he 1Or offered uponwent up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had 2Lit madeANum 15:39devised 3Lit fromin his own heart; and he 2Lit madeinstituted a feast for the sons of Israel and 1Or offered uponwent up to the altar B1 Kin 13:1to burn 4Or sacrificesincense.