Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam^(A)

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem,^(B) for all Israel had gone there to make him king. ² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled^(C) from King Solomon), he returned from^[a] Egypt. ³ So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: ⁴ “Your father put a heavy yoke^(D) on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders^(E) who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

⁷ They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer,^(F) they will always be your servants.”

⁸ But Rehoboam rejected^(G) the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 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 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 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.’”

¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 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^(H) you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord,^(I) to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah^(J) the Shilonite.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

So the Israelites went home.^{(M) 17} But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah,^(N) Rehoboam still ruled over them.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,^[b](O) who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death.^(P) King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David^(Q) to this day.

²⁰ When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.^(R)

²¹ When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war^(S) against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

²² But this word of God came to Shemaiah^(T) the man of God:^{(U) 23} “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ²⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan

²⁵ Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem^(V) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.^[c](W)

²⁶ Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. ²⁷ If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem,^(X) they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

²⁸ After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves.^(Y) He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”^{(Z) 29} One he set up in Bethel,^(AA) and the other in Dan.^{(AB) 30} And this thing became a sin;^(AC) the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.^[d]

³¹ Jeroboam built shrines^(AD) on high places and appointed priests^(AE) from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. ³² He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth^(AF) month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel,^(AG) sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. ³³ On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel.^(AH) So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,^(A) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.^{(B) 2} Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.^{(C) 3} For you died,^(D) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a] life,^(E) appears,^(F) then you also will appear with him in glory.^(G)

⁵ Put to death,^(H) therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:^(I) sexual immorality,^(J) impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,^(K) which is idolatry.^{(L) 6} Because of these, the wrath of God^(M) is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.^{(N) 8} But now you must also rid yourselves^(O) of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,^(P) and filthy language from your lips.^{(Q) 9} Do not lie to each other,^(R) since you have taken off your old self^(S) with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(T) which is being renewed^(U) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^{(V) 11} Here there is no Gentile or Jew,^(W) circumcised or uncircumcised,^(X) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,^(Y) but Christ is all,^(Z) and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves^(AA) with compassion, kindness, humility,^(AB) gentleness and patience.^{(AC) 13} Bear with each other^(AD) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.^{(AE) 14} And over all these virtues put on love,^(AF) which binds them all together in perfect unity.^(AG)

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ^(AH) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body^(AI) you were called to peace.^(AJ) And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ^(AK) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom^(AL) through psalms,^(AM) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.^{(AN) 17} And whatever you do,^(AO) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks^(AP) to God the Father through him.

Instructions for Christian Households^(AQ)

¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,^(AR) as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

²¹ Fathers,^[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance^(AS) from the Lord as a reward.^(AT) It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.^(AU)