1 Kings 12

The Revolt Against Rehoboam

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,4 Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.5 So he said to them, Depart for three days, then come back to me. And the people departed.6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, How do you advise me to answer these people?7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.9 And he said to them, What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father put on us?10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on usthus you shall say to them: My little finger shall be thicker than my fathers waist!11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, Come back to me the third day.13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.21 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,23 Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,24 Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me. Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboams Gold Calves

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

1 KINGS 12

Some of the People Rebel //against Rehoboam

(2 Chronicles 10.1-19)

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
2 Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, t where he had gone to hide from Solomon. 3 But the people from the northern tribes of Israel sent for him. Then together they went to Rehoboam and said,

4 “Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard. But if you make our work easier, we will serve you and do whatever you ask.”

5 “Give me three days to think about it,” Rehoboam replied, “then come back for my answer.” So the people left.

6 Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, “What should I tell these people?”

7 They answered, “If you want them to serve and obey you, then you should do what they ask today. Tell them you will make their work easier.”
8 But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials.

9 He asked, “What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?”

10 His younger advisors said:
Here's what we think you should say to them: “Compared to me, my father was weak.t

11 He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!”
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back. 13 Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors.

14 He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: “My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!”

15-19  t When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: “We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people.”
Adoniramt was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem.
So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the [Lord]'s prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.

20 When the Israelites heard that Jeroboam was back, they called everyone together. Then they sent for Jeroboam and made him king of Israel. Only the people from the tribe of Judaht remained loyal to David's family.

Shemaiah Warns Rehoboam

(2 Chronicles 11.1-4)

21 After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and take control of the whole country. So he called together 180,000 soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
22 Meanwhile, God told Shemaiah the prophet 23 to give Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin this warning:

24 “Don't go to war against the people from Israel—they are your relatives. Go home! I am the [Lord], and I made these things happen.”
Rehoboam and his army obeyed the [Lord] and went home.

Jeroboam Makes Religious //Changes

25 Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Ephraim and made it a stronger town, then he moved there. He also fortified the town of Penuel.

26-27 One day, Jeroboam started thinking, “Everyone in Israel still goes to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the [Lord]. What if they become loyal to David's family again? They will kill me and accept Rehoboam as their king.”
28  t Jeroboam asked for advice and then made two gold statues of calves. He showed them to the people and said, “Listen everyone! You won't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Here are your godst who rescued you from Egypt.” 29 Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel and the other in the town of Dan.

30 The people sinned because they started going to these places to worship.
31 Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrinest and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests. 32-33 t He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah.t On that day, Jeroboam went to Bethel and offered sacrifices on the altar to the gold calf he had put there. Then he assigned the priests their duties.