10:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
10:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
10:3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
10:4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
10:5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.
10:6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.
10:7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
10:8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
10:9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10:10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “Tell the people who have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter’–tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
10:11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
10:12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.”
10:13 The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders,
10:14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”
10:15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
10:16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home.
10:17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
10:18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
10:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
10:1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
10:2 And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from Solomon the king; and Jeroboam returned from Egypt;
10:3 And they sent word to him and called him), Jeroboam and all of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
10:4 Your father made our yoke hard. Now therefore make the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us lighter, and we will serve you.
10:5 And he said to them, Go away for another three days, then return to me. And the people went away.
10:6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who attended Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, What counsel do you give me to return as an answer to this people?
10:7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants always.
10:8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders with which they counseled him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who attended him.
10:9 And he said to them, What counsel do you give me that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke that your father put upon us?
10:10 And the young men who grew up with him spoke with him, saying, Thus shall you say to the people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter on us; thus shall you say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
10:11 And now, whereas my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, I will increase your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
10:12 And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, Return to me on the third day.
10:13 And the king answered them harshly; and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders
10:14 And spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
10:15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was of God that Jehovah might establish His word which He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
10:16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people returned an answer to the king, saying, What portion do we have in David? Neither do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each one to your tents, O Israel. Now see to your own house, O David. And all Israel went to their tents.
10:17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
10:18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the children of Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to get up into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.
10:19 So Israel has rebelled against the house of David until this day.