I Kings 12
12
The Revolt Against Rehoboam
1And #2 Chr. 10:1Rehoboam went to #Judg. 9:6Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2So it happened, when #1 Kin. 11:26Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in #1 Kin. 11:40Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt ), 3that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father made our #1 Sam. 8:11–18; 1 Kin. 4:7; 5:13–15yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6Then 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?”
7And they spoke to him, saying, #2 Chr. 10:7; (Prov. 15:1)“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.”
8But 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. 9And 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’?”
10Then 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 us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11And 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!’ ”
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 14and 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!” 15So the king did not listen to the people; for #Deut. 2:30; Judg. 14:4; 1 Kin. 12:24; 2 Chr. 10:15the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had #1 Kin. 11:11, 29, 31spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
#2 Sam. 20:1“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!”
So Israel departed to their tents. 17But Rehoboam reigned over #1 Kin. 11:13, 36; 2 Chr. 11:14–17the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
18Then King Rehoboam #1 Kin. 4:6; 5:14sent 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. 19So #2 Kin. 17:21Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20Now 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 #2 Kin. 17:21Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah #1 Kin. 11:13, 32, 36only.
21And when #2 Chr. 11:1–4Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of #2 Sam. 19:17Benjamin, 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. 22But #2 Chr. 11:2; 12:5–7the 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, #1 Kin. 12:15for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.
Jeroboam’s Gold Calves
25Then Jeroboam #Gen. 12:6; Judg. 9:45–49; 1 Kin. 12:1built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built #Gen. 32:30, 31; Judg. 8:8, 17Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27If these people #(Deut. 12:5–7, 14)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.”
28Therefore the king asked advice, #2 Kin. 10:29; 17:16; (Hos. 8:4–7)made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. #Ex. 32:4, 8Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29And he set up one in #Gen. 28:19Bethel, and the other he put in #Judg. 18:26–31Dan. 30Now this thing became #1 Kin. 13:34; 2 Kin. 17:21a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31He made shrines on the high places, #(Num. 3:10; 17:1–11); Judg. 17:5; 1 Kin. 13:33; 2 Kin. 17:32; 2 Chr. 11:14, 15and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like #Lev. 23:33, 34; Num. 29:12; 1 Kin. 8:2, 5the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. #Amos 7:10–13And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33So 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 #Num. 15:39devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and #1 Kin. 13:1burned incense.
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I Kings 12: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 12
12
Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam
2Ch 10:1–11:4
1And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. # 2Ch 10 2When Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was still in Egypt, heard of it (for he had fled from King Solomon and stayed in Egypt), # 1Ki 11:40 3they 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. # 1Sa 8:11–18 Now, therefore, make the grievous service to your father and the heavy yoke he put upon us lighter, and we will serve you.”
5He said to them, “Depart for three days, and then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who advised his father Solomon # Job 12:12; 32:7 while he was still alive and asked, “How do you advise me to answer the people?”
7And 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, # Pr 15:1 they will be your servants forever.”
8But 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, 9and 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’?”
10And 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! 11Whereas 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!’ ”
12So 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.” # 1Ki 12:5 13The king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel the old men gave him, 14and 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.” 15Thus the king did not listen to the people, for the cause was from the Lord, # Dt 2:30; 1Ki 12:24 that He might fulfill His saying, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16So 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, # 2Sa 20:1
and see to your own house, David!”
So the people of Israel departed to their tents. 17But the people of Israel living in the cities of Judah were ruled over by Rehoboam. # 1Ki 11:13, 36
18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, # 1Ki 4:6; 5:14 and all Israel stoned him to death. As a result, King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David # 2Ki 17:21 to this day.
20When 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. # 1Ki 11:13, 32
21When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah along with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. # 2Ch 11:1–3
22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, # 2Ch 11:2 saying: 23Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24“Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the Israelites. Every man is to return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” They listened therefore to the word of the Lord # 1Ki 12:15 and turned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.
Jeroboam’s Golden Calves
25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and lived there and went out from there and built Peniel. # Jdg 8:8, 17
26Jeroboam said in his heart, “The kingdom will return to the house of David. 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, # Dt 12:5–7, 14 then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28At that point, the king got some advice and made two golden calves and said to the people, “It is too difficult for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold, your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” # Ex 32:4, 8 29He set one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan. # Ge 28:19 30This was a sin, # 1Ki 13:34; 2Ki 17:21 for the people went to worship before the one, even all the way in Dan.
31He also made houses on high places and appointed priests from among all the people # 1Ki 13:32–33; 2Ki 17:32 who were not Levites. 32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast in Judah, # Nu 9:11; 1Ki 8:2 and he offered sacrifices on the altar. # 1Ki 8:5 He did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had made. 33So he made offerings on the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a holiday he imagined in his own heart, and ordained a feast for the Israelites, and he sacrificed on the altar and burned incense.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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