1 Kings 12
12
The Northern Tribes Revolt
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt,#12:2 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate (see also 2 Chr 10:2); Hebrew reads he lived in Egypt. for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4“Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”
5Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away.
6Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?”
7The older counselors replied, “If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.”
8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. 9“What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”
10The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”
12Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered. 13But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors 14and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”
15So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the Lord, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
16When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!”
So the people of Israel returned home. 17But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,#12:18 As in some Greek manuscripts and Syriac version (see also 4:6; 5:14); Hebrew reads Adoram. who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
20When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.
Shemaiah’s Prophecy
21When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
22But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God, 23“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the Lord and went home, as the Lord had commanded.
Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves
25Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.#12:25 Hebrew Penuel, a variant spelling of Peniel.
26Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. 27When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”
28So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people,#12:28 Hebrew to them. “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
29He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 30But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
31Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi. 32And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,#12:32 This day of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late October or early November, exactly one month after the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah (see Lev 23:34). in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made. 33So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.
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1 Kings 12: NLT
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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 12
12
1And Reḥaḇ‛am went to Sheḵem, for all Yisra’ĕl had gone to Sheḵem to set him up to reign.
2And it came to be, when Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat heard this – he was still in Mitsrayim, for he had fled from the presence of Sovereign Shelomoh and had been dwelling in Mitsrayim –
3that they sent and called him. And Yaroḇ‛am and all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl came and spoke to Reḥaḇ‛am, saying,
4“Your father made our yoke hard, and now, lighten the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, then we serve you.”
5And he said to them, “Go away for three days, then come back to me.” And the people went.
6Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am consulted the elders who stood before his father Shelomoh while he still lived, and he said, “What do you advise me to answer these people?”
7And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are a servant to these people today, and shall serve them, and shall answer them and speak good words to them, then they shall be your servants all the days.”
8But he ignored the advice the elders gave 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’?”
10And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Say this to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us.’ Say this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11And now, my father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I, I flog you with scourges!’ ”
12So Yaroḇ‛am and all the people came to Reḥaḇ‛am the third day, as the sovereign had spoken, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
13But the sovereign answered the people harshly, and ignored 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 add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I, I flog you with scourges!”
15So the sovereign did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from יהוה, in order to establish His word, which יהוה had spoken by Aḥiyah the Shilonite to Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat.
16And all Yisra’ĕl saw that the sovereign did not listen to them. Then the people answered the sovereign, saying, “What portion do we have in Dawiḏ? And there is no inheritance in the son of Yishai. To your mighty ones,#Heb. elohim, which the Scribes (Sopherim) later on emended to read “tents.” O Yisra’ĕl! Now, see to your own house, O Dawiḏ!” So Yisra’ĕl went to their tents.
17But as for the children of Yisra’ĕl who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, Reḥaḇ‛am reigned over them.
18And when Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am sent Aḏoram, who was over the compulsory labour, all Yisra’ĕl stoned him with stones, and he died. And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am hastily mounted his chariot to flee to Yerushalayim.
19Thus Yisra’ĕl revolted against the house of Dawiḏ to this day.
20And it came to be when all Yisra’ĕl heard that Yaroḇ‛am had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and set him up to reign over all Yisra’ĕl. There was none who followed the house of Dawiḏ, except the tribe of Yehuḏah only.
21And Reḥaḇ‛am came to Yerushalayim, and he assembled all the house of Yehuḏah with the tribe of Binyamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen brave men, to fight against the house of Yisra’ĕl, to bring back the reign to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh.
22But the word of Elohim came to Shemayah the man of Elohim, saying,
23“Speak to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh, sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all the house of Yehuḏah and Binyamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24Thus said יהוה, “Do not go up or fight against your brothers the children of Yisra’ĕl. Let every man return to his house, for this matter is from Me.” ’ ” So they obeyed the word of יהוה, and turned back, according to the word of יהוה.
25And Yaroḇ‛am built Sheḵem in the mountains of Ephrayim, and dwelt there. And he went out from there and built Penu’ĕl.
26And Yaroḇ‛am said in his heart, “Now the reign shall return to the house of Dawiḏ.
27“If these people go up to do slaughterings in the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim, then the heart of this people shall turn back to their master, Reḥaḇ‛am sovereign of Yehuḏah, and they shall kill me and go back to Reḥaḇ‛am sovereign of Yehuḏah.”
28So the sovereign took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim. See, your mighty ones, O Yisra’ĕl, which brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim!”
29And he set up one in Bĕyth Ěl, and the other he put in Dan.
30And this matter became a sin, for the people went before the one as far as Dan.
31And he made the house of high places, and made priests from all sorts of people, who were not of the sons of Lĕwi.
32And Yaroḇ‛am performed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth new moon, like the festival that was in Yehuḏah, and he offered on the slaughter-place. So he did at Bĕyth Ěl, slaughtering to the calves that he had made. And at Bĕyth Ěl he appointed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33And he made offerings on the slaughter-place which he had made at Bĕyth Ěl on the fifteenth day of the eighth new moon, in the new moon which he had devised in his own heart. And he performed a festival for the children of Yisra’ĕl, and offered on the slaughter-place and burned incense.
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