1 Kings 12
12
The northern tribes of Israel rebel against King Rehoboam
Some of the people rebel against Rehoboam
(2 Chronicles 10.1-19)
1Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
2Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt,#12.2 he stayed in Egypt: Hebrew; two ancient translations “he returned from Egypt” (see also 2 Chronicles 10.2). where he had gone to hide from Solomon. 3But 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.
6Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, “What should I tell these people?”
7They 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.”
8But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials. 9He asked, “What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?”
10His younger advisers said:
Here's what we think you should say to them: “Compared to me, my father was weak.#12.10 Compared…weak: Hebrew “My little finger is bigger than my father's waist.” 11He 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!”
12Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back. 13Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisers. 14He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisers 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!”
15-19When 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.”#2 S 20.1.
Adoniram#12.15-19 Adoniram: Two ancient translations (see also 4.6 and 5.14); Hebrew “Adoram”. was in charge of the forced labour, 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 this happened just as the LORD's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
20When 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 Judah#12.20 Israelites…Israel…Judah: From this time on, “Israel” usually refers to the northern kingdom, and “Israelites” refers to the people who lived there. The southern kingdom is called “Judah”. remained loyal to David's family.
Shemaiah warns Rehoboam
(2 Chronicles 11.1-4)
21After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and take control of the whole country. So he called together one hundred and eighty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
22Meanwhile, God told Shemaiah the prophet 23to 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.
King Jeroboam of Israel makes two gold statues of calves
25Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Ephraim and made it a stronger town, then he moved there. He also fortified the town of Penuel.
26-27One 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.”
28Jeroboam 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 any more. Here are your gods#12.28 Here are your gods: Or “Here is your God”. who rescued you from Egypt.”#Ex 32.4. 29-30Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel. He put the other one in the town of Dan, and the crowd walked out in front as the calf was taken there.#12.29,30 the crowd…taken there: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. What Jeroboam did was a terrible sin.
31Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrines#12.31 shrines: See the note at 3.2. and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests. 32-33He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah.#12.32,33 the one in Judah: This probably refers to the Festival of Shelters. 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.#Lv 23.33,34.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
1 Kings 12
12
1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. For in that place, all of Israel had gathered to appoint him as king.
2 Yet truly, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, while he was still in Egypt as a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned from Egypt.
3 And they sent and called him. Therefore, Jeroboam went, with the entire multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 "Your father imposed a very harsh yoke upon us. And so, you should now take away a little from the very harsh rule of your father and from his very grievous yoke, which he imposed upon us, and we will serve you."
5 And he said to them, "Go away, until the third day, and then return to me." And when the people had gone away,
6 king Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had assisted before his father Solomon while he was still living. And he said, "What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people?"
7 They said to him, "If today you will obey and serve this people, and yield to their petition, and if you will speak lenient words to them, they will be your servants for all days."
8 But he abandoned the counsel of the old men, which they had given to him. And he consulted the young men who had been raised with him, and who were assisting him.
9 And he said to them: "What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people, who have said to me: 'Make light the yoke that your father imposed on us?' "
10 And the young men who had been raised with him, said: "You shall speak in this way to this people, who have spoken to you, saying: 'Your father weighed down our yoke. You should relieve us.' You shall say this to them: 'My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 And now, my father placed a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add more upon your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.' "
12 Therefore, Jeroboam and all the people went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had spoken, saying, "Return to me on the third day."
13 And the king responded to the people harshly, leaving behind the counsel of the elders that they had given to him.
14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: "My father weighed down your yoke, but I will add more to your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions."
15 And the king did not acquiesce to the people. For the Lord had turned him away, so that he might raise up his word, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
16 And so the people, seeing that the king had not been willing to listen to them, responded to him, saying: "What part do we have in David? Or what inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Go to your own tents, O Israel. Now David, see to your own house." And Israel went away to their own tents.
17 But over all the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all of Israel stoned him, and he died. Therefore, king Rehoboam hurrying, climbed into the chariot, and fled to Jerusalem.
19 And Israel drew away from the house of David, even to the present day.
20 And it happened that, when all of Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, gathering an assembly, they sent and called him, and they appointed him as king over all of Israel. And no one followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah alone.
21 Then Rehoboam went to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the entire house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand elect men of war, so that they might fight against the house of Israel, and might bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
22 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying:
23 "Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah, and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:
24 'Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not make war against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let each man return to his own house. For this word came from me.' " And they listened to the word of the Lord, and they returned from the journey, as the Lord had instructed them.
25 Then Jeroboam built up Shechem, on mount Ephraim, and he lived there. And departing from there, he built up Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart: "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David,
27 if this people ascend to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. And the heart of this people will be converted to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and they will put me to death, and return to him."
28 And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: "No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!"
29 And he stationed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 And this word became an occasion of sin. For the people went to adore the calf, even to Dan.
31 And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And he appointed a solemn day in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in imitation of the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah. And ascending to the altar, he acted similarly in Bethel, so that he immolated to the calves, which he had made. And in Bethel, he appointed priests of the high places, which he had made.
33 And he ascended to the altar, which he had raised up in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the day that he had decided in his own heart. And he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he ascended to the altar, so that he might burn incense.
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