1 Kings 12
12
Rehoboam’s Folly
1 # For ver. 1-19, see 2 Chr. 10:1-19 Rehoboam went to #[Judg. 9:6]Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And as soon as #ch. 11:26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for #ch. 11:40he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from#12:2 Septuagint, Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 10:2); Hebrew lived in Egypt. 3And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4#ch. 4:7, 22; 9:15; See 1 Sam. 8:11-18“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, #ver. 12“Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.
6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11And now, whereas #[See ver. 4 above]my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, #ver. 5“Come to me again the third day.” 13And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 14he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, #[See ver. 4 above]“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen to the people, for #ver. 24 it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which #ch. 11:11, 31the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
The Kingdom Divided
16And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. #See 2 Sam. 20:1To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. 17But Rehoboam reigned over #ch. 11:13, 36the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18Then King Rehoboam sent #ch. 4:6; 5:14Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19#2 Kgs. 17:21So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but #ch. 11:13, 32, 36the tribe of Judah only.
21 # For ver. 21-24, see 2 Chr. 11:1-4 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to #2 Chr. 12:5, 7, 15Shemaiah the man of God: 23“Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the #[ver. 17]rest of the people, 24‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, #ver. 15for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.
Jeroboam’s Golden Calves
25Then Jeroboam #[Judg. 9:45] built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and #[Judg. 8:17]built Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27If this people #Deut. 12:5, 6go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28So the king took counsel and #2 Kgs. 10:29; 17:16; 2 Chr. 11:15; 13:8; Hos. 8:5, 6; 10:5; 13:2; [ch. 14:9] made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. #[Ex. 32:4, 8]Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30Then #ch. 13:34; 2 Kgs. 17:21this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.#12:30 Septuagint went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan 31He also made #ch. 13:32 temples on high places and #ch. 13:33; 2 Kgs. 17:32; 2 Chr. 11:14, 15; 13:9appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like #Lev. 23:33, 34; Num. 29:12 the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel #ch. 13:2; [Amos 7:13]the priests of the high places that he had made. 33He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar #ch. 13:1to make offerings.
Currently Selected:
1 Kings 12: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012