The Northern Tribes Rebel

10 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in^[a] Shechem to make Rehoboam^[b] king.

⁵ He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

⁶ King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served^[a] his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,^[b] “How do you advise me to answer these people?” ⁷ They said to him, “If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”^{[c] 8} But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.^{[d] 9} He asked them, “How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”^{[e] 10} The young advisers with whom Rehoboam^[f] had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden’^[g]—say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father!^{[h] 11} My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.^[i] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”^[j]

¹² Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king responded to the people harshly. He^[k] rejected the advice of the older men ¹⁴ and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you;^[l] I will make them even heavier.^[m] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”^[n]