1 Kings 12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Kingdom Divided
12 Then Rehoboam(A) went to Shechem,(B) for all Israel(C) had gone to Shechem to make him king.(D) 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence,(E) Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.[a] 3 They summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: 4 “Your father made our yoke difficult.(F) You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us,(G) and we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam replied, “Go home for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders(H) who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to these people?”
7 They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”(I)
8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him(J) and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”[b](K)
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “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 barbed whips.”[c]
15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord(L) to carry out His word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.(M) 16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:
What portion do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.(N)
Israel, return to your tents;
David, now look after your own house!(O)
So Israel went to their tents, 17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.(P)
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram,[d](Q) who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.(R)
Rehoboam in Jerusalem
20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back,(S) they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel.(T) No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.(U) 21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem,(V) he mobilized 180,000 choice warriors from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin(W) to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But a revelation from God came to Shemaiah,(X) the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for I have done this.’”(Y)
So they listened to what the Lord said and went back as He had told them.
Jeroboam’s Idolatry
25 Jeroboam built Shechem(Z) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel.(AA) 26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David.(AB) 27 If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem,(AC) the heart of these people will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will murder me and go back to the king of Judah.” 28 So the king sought advice.
Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, “Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God[e] who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”(AD) 29 He set up one in Bethel,(AE) and put the other in Dan.(AF) 30 This led to sin;(AG) the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan.[f](AH)
31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places(AI) and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites.(AJ) 32 Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah.(AK) He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.(AL) 33 He offered sacrifices on[g] the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own.(AM) He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.(AN)
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 12:2 LXX, Vg read Jeroboam returned from Egypt; 2Ch 10:2
- 1 Kings 12:11 Lit with scorpions
- 1 Kings 12:14 Lit with scorpions
- 1 Kings 12:18 LXX reads Adoniram; 1Kg 4:6; 5:14
- 1 Kings 12:28 Or here are your gods
- 1 Kings 12:30 Some LXX mss read calves to Bethel and the other to Dan
- 1 Kings 12:33 Or He went up to
1 Kings 12
New Living Translation
The Northern Tribes Revolt
12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt,[a] for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4 “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.”
5 Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away.
6 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?”
7 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.”
8 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. 9 “What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”
10 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! 11 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!’”
12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered. 13 But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors 14 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!”
15 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.
16 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. 17 But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18 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. 19 And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
20 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.
Shemaiah’s Prophecy
21 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.
22 But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God, 23 “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, 24 ‘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.
Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves
25 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]
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. 27 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.”
28 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!”
29 He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 30 But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
31 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. 32 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. 33 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.
Footnotes
- 12:2 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate (see also 2 Chr 10:2); Hebrew reads he lived in Egypt.
- 12:18 As in some Greek manuscripts and Syriac version (see also 4:6; 5:14); Hebrew reads Adoram.
- 12:25 Hebrew Penuel, a variant spelling of Peniel.
- 12:28 Hebrew to them.
- 12:32 This day of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late October or early November, exactly one month after the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah (see Lev 23:34).
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