1 Kings 12:1-24

Israel's Revolt

12¹ Then Rehoboam went to Shechem , for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king . ² 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 ). ³ Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam , saying , ⁴ " 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." ⁵ Then he said to them, " Depart for three days , then return to me." So the people departed . ⁶ King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served e his father Solomon while he was still alive , saying , "How do you counsel me to answer e this people ?" ⁷ 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 e ." 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 and served e him. ⁹ So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer e 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 directed , saying , " Return to me on the third day ." ¹³ The king answered the people harshly , for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, ¹⁴ 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 ." ¹⁵ 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 .

¹⁶ 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 . ¹⁷ But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah , Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸ 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 . ¹⁹ So 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 . None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David . ²¹ Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem , he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin , 180,000 e e 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 Shemaiah 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 rest of the people , saying , ²⁴ '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 .