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King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
The Northern Tribes Revolt
Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.
Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.
Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).
Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.
“Your 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.”
“Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”
Then he said to them, “Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.
Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away.
King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”
Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?”
Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
The older counselors replied, “If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.”
But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.
But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.
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’?”
“What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”
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!
The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
‘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.’”
Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”
Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered.
The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him,
But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors
and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My 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.”
and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”
So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the LORD, for it fulfilled the LORD’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel
When 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;
To your tents, O Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.
When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!”
So the people of Israel returned home.
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!”
So the people of Israel returned home.
But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
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. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.
Now 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.
Shemaiah’s Prophecy
When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin — 180,000 select troops — to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,
“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying,
“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
‘Thus says the LORD, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for 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.
‘This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the LORD and went home, as the LORD had commanded.
Jeroboam’s Idolatry
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.
“If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD 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.”
When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”
So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan — at either end of his kingdom.
Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people — those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.
Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
Then he went 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 devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.