1 Kings Chapter 12

1 Kings Chapter 12
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for
all Israel were come to Shechem, to
make him king
2 And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat
heard of it (who was yet in Egypt,
whither Jeroboam had fled from king
Solomon, and dwelt in Egypt) 3 Then
they sent and called him: and Jeroboam
and all the congregation of Israel came,
and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous:
now therefore make thou the grievous
servitude of thy father, and his sore yoke
which he put upon us, lighter, and we
will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for
three days, then come again to me. And
the people departed.
6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with
the old men that had stand before
Solomon his father, while he yet lived,
and said, What counsel give ye, that I
may make an answer to this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If
thou be a servant unto this people this
day, and serve them, and answer them,
and speak kind words to them, they will
be thy servants forever.
8 But he forsook the counsel that the old
men had given him, and asked counsel of
the young men that had been brought up
with him, and waited on him.
9 And he said unto them, What counsel
give ye, that we may answer this people,
which have spoken to me, saying, Make
the yoke, which thy father did put upon
us, lighter?
10 Then the young men that were brought
up with him, spake unto him, saying,
Thus shalt thou say unto this people, that
have spoken unto thee, and said, Thy
father hath made our yoke heavy, but
make thou it lighter unto us: even thus
shalt thou say unto them, My least part
shall be bigger than my father's loins.
11 Now where as my father did burden
you with a grievous yoke, I will yet
make your yoke heavier: my father hath
chastised you with rods, but I will
correct you with scourges.
12 Then Jeroboam and all the people
came to Rehoboam the third day, as the
king had appointed, saying, Come to me
again the third day. 13 And the king
answered the people sharply, and left the
old men's counsel that they gave him,
14 And spake to them after the counsel
of the young men, saying, My father
made your yoke grievous, and I will
make your yoke more grievous: my
father hath chastised you with rods, but I
will correct you with scourges. 15 And
the king hearkened not unto the people:
for it was the ordinance of the Lord, that
he might perform his saying, which the
Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite
unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king
regarded them not, the people answered
the king thus, saying, What portion have
we in David? We have none inheritance
in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O
Israel: now see to thine own house,
David. So Israel departed unto their
tents.
17 Howbeit over the children of Israel,
which dwelt in the cities of Judah, did
Rehoboam reign still.
18 Now the king Rehoboam sent
Adoram the receiver of the tribute, and
all Israel stoned him to death: then king
Rehoboam made speed to get him up to
his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 And Israel rebelled against the house
of David unto this day. 20 And when all
Israel had heard that Jeroboam was
come again, they sent and called him
unto the assembly, and made him king
over all Israel: none followed the house
of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to
Jerusalem, he gathered all the house of
Judah with the tribe of Benjamin an
hundred and fourscore thousand of
chosen men (which were good warriors)
to fight against the house of Israel, and to
bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam
the son of Solomon.
22 But the word of God came unto
Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23
Speak unto Rehoboam the son of
Solomon king of Judah, and unto all the
house of Judah and Benjamin, and the
remnant of the people, saying, 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 done by me. They
obeyed therefore the word of the Lord
and returned, and departed, according to
the word of the Lord.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in
mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and
went from thence, and built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam thought in his heart,
Now shall the kingdom return to the
house of David.
27 If this people go up and do sacrifice
in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem,
then shall the heart of this people turn
again unto their lord, even to Rehoboam
king of Judah: so shall they kill me and
go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 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, O Israel, thy gods,
which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt.
29 And he set the one in Beth-el, and the
other set he in Dan.
30 And this thing turned to sin: for the
people went (because of the one) even to
Dan.
31 Also he made an house of high
places, and made priests of the lowest of
the people, which were not of the sons
of Levi.
32 And Jeroboam made a feast the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, like
unto the feast that is in Judah, and
offered on the altar. So did he in Beth-el
and offered unto the calves that he had
made: and he placed in Beth-el the
priests of the high places, which he had
made.
33 And he offered upon the altar, which
he had made in Beth-el, the fifteenth day
of the eighth month, ( even in the month
which he had forged of his own heart)
and made a solemn feast unto the
children of Israel: and he went up to the
altar, to burn incense.