Rehoboam Forsakes the Elders’ Counsel

12 ^(A)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to ^(B)Shechem to make him king. ² And it happened, ^(C)when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, ^[a]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 for him. And Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ⁴ “^(D)Your father made our yoke harsh; but you, now, lighten the harsh service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵ Then he said to them, “^(E)Go ^[b]for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam ^(F)took counsel with the elders who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to respond to this people?” ⁷ And they spoke to him, saying, “^(G)If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and ^[c]grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had counseled him, and took counsel with the young men who grew up with him and stood before him. ⁹ So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may respond to this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” ¹⁰ Then 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!’ Thus you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! ¹¹ So now, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, “^(H)Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ And the king answered the people harshly, and he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had ^[d]given him, ¹⁴ and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “^(I)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; ^(J)for it was a turn of events from Yahweh, ^(K)that He might establish His word, which Yahweh spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Israel Rebels Against Judah

¹⁶ Then all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people responded to the king with this word, saying,

So Israel went to their tents. ¹⁷ But ^(M)as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent ^(N)Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel ^[e]stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ^19 (O)So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

²⁰ Now it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. ^(P)None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.