¹⁴ Solomon amassed both chariots and horsemen: he owned 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stationing them in armories^[a] and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and made cedar^[b] trees as plentiful as sycamore^[c] trees that grow in the Shephelah.^{[d] 16} Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s procurement officials obtained them from Kue at great^[e] price. ¹⁷ Chariots were imported from Egypt for 600 shekels^[f] each, and horses cost 150 shekels^[g] each, and then they exported them to all of the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.

¹³ But the king answered them strictly and ignored the counsel of his elders. ¹⁴ Instead, Rehoboam^[a] spoke to them along the lines of what the younger men suggested. He told them, “My father burdened you heavily, but I will add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I will, too—with scorpions!”

¹⁵ The king would not listen to the people because the turn of events was from God, so that the Lord might fulfill his prediction that he spoke through Nebat’s son Ahijah the Shilonite. ¹⁶ All of Israel—since the king wasn’t going to listen to them—the people responded to the king, “What’s the point in following David? We have no inheritance in the descendants of Jesse. Let’s go home,^[b] Israel! David, take care of your own household!” So all of Israel left for home.^{[c] 17} And so Rehoboam ruled over the Israelis who lived in the cities of Judah.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of conscripted labor, but the Israelis stoned him to death, and King Rehoboam had to jump in his chariot and flee back in a hurry to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ That’s how Israel came to be in rebellion against David’s dynasty to this day.