New Living Translation

New King James Version

The Northern Tribes Revolt

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam

And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt,a for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.

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So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),

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The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.

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that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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“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.”

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“Your father made our yoke [a]heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

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Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away.

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So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

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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?”

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Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

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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.”

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And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

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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.

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But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

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“What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”

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And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

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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!

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Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’ — thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!

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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!’”

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And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [b]scourges!’ ”

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Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered.

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So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

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But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors

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Then the king answered the people [c]roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;

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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!”

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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 chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [d]scourges!”

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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.

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So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

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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.

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Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.

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But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.

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But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

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King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,b who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.

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Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.

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And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.

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So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

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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.

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Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

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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.

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And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

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But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,

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But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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“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,

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

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‘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.

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‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

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Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves

Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.c

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Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

Then Jeroboam built[e] Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.

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Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.

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And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:

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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.”

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If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

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So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people,d “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”

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Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

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He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan — at either end of his kingdom.

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And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

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But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.

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Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

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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.

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He made [f]shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

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And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,e in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.

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Jeroboam [g]ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.

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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.

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So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he [h]ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12