1 Kings 12:1-20
Modern English Version
Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam(A)
12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was still in Egypt, heard of it (for he had fled from King Solomon and stayed in Egypt), 3 they called and sent for him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke unbearable. Now, therefore, make the grievous service to your father and the heavy yoke he put upon us lighter, and we will serve you.”
5 He said to them, “Depart for three days, and then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6 King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who advised his father Solomon while he was still alive and asked, “How do you advise me to answer the people?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people this day and will serve them and answer them and speak kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he rejected the advice that the old men gave him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and who stood before him, 9 and he said to them, “What advice do you give on how we should answer this people, who have spoken to me saying, ‘Make the yoke your father put on us lighter’?”
10 And the young men who grew up with him said, “Thus shall you answer this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger will be thicker than my father’s loins! 11 Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your burden. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!’ ”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had appointed, saying, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 The king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel the old men gave him, 14 and instead spoke to them following the advice of the young men. He said, “My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your burden. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 15 Thus the king did not listen to the people, for the cause was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His saying, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people responded to the king, saying,
“What portion do we have in David?
We also do not have an inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel,
and see to your own house, David!”
So the people of Israel departed to their tents. 17 But the people of Israel living in the cities of Judah were ruled over by Rehoboam.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. As a result, King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David, and it remains so even to this day.
20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him before the congregation and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
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1 Kings 12:1-20
21st Century King James Version
12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt),
3 that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us lighter, and we will serve thee.”
5 And he said unto them, “Depart yet for three days, then come again to me.” And the people departed.
6 And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, “How do ye advise that I may answer this people?”
7 And they spoke unto him, saying, “If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.”
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they hadgiven him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, and who stood before him.
9 And he said unto them, “What counsel give ye that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter’?”
10 And the young men who had grown up with him spoke unto him, saying, “Thus shalt thou speak unto this people who spoke unto thee, saying, ‘Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us’ — thus shalt thou say unto them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins!
11 And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him,
14 and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke. My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!”
15 Therefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that He might perform His saying which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, David!” So Israel departed unto their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. Therefore King Rehoboam made haste to get up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
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