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I Kings

Chapter 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem . . .
for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

2 And it came to pass,
when Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who was yet in Egypt, heard of it
(for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon,
and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt) 3
that they sent and called him.

And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came,
and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying, 4
your father made our yoke grievous
now therefore make you the grievous service of your father,
and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter,
and we will serve you.

5 And he said unto them,
Depart yet for three days, then come again to me.

And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men,
that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived,
and said, How do you advise that I may answer this people?

7 And they spoke unto him, saying,
If you will be a servant unto this people this day,
and will serve them, and answer them,
and speak good words to them,
then they will be your servants forever.

8~~But he {King Rehoboam}
refused the counsel of the old men,
 {the wise counselors of his father Solomon}
which they had been given to him,
and consulted with the young men
who had grown up with him,
and which stood before him.

9 And he said unto them,
What counsel give you that we may answer this people,
who have spoken to me, saying,
Make the yoke which your father did put upon us lighter?

10 And the young men that were grown up with him
spoke unto him, saying,
Thus shall you speak unto this people
who spoke unto you, saying,
your father made our yoke heavy,
but make you it lighter unto us;
thus shall you say unto them,
My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke,
I will add to your yoke . . .
my father has chastised you with whips,
but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12 So Jeroboam and all the people
came to Rehoboam the third day,
as the king had appointed, saying,
Come to me again the third day.

13 And the king answered the people roughly,
and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; 14
and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men,
saying, My father made your yoke heavy,
and I will add to your yoke . . .
my father also chastised you with whips,
but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people;
for the cause was from Jehovah/God,
that he might perform his saying,
which Jehovah/God spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite
unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 So when all Israel saw that the king
hearkened not unto them,
the people answered the king, saying,
What portion have we in David?

Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse.

To your tents, O Israel.

Now see to your own house, David.

So Israel departed unto their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel
which dwelt in the cities of Judah,
Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram,
who was over the tribute;
and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.

Therefore king Rehoboam made speed
to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem . . . 19~~
with the result that,
Israel rebelled against the house of David
to this day.

20 And it came to pass,
when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again,
that they sent and called him unto the congregation,
and made him king over all Israel.

There was none that followed the house of David,
but the tribe of Judah only.

21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem,
he assembled all the house of Judah,
with the tribe of Benjamin,
an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men,
who were warriors,
to fight against the house of Israel,
to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the word of 'Elohiym/Godhead
came unto Shemaiah the man of 'Elohiym/Godhead, saying, 23
Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah,
and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin,
and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24
Thus says Jehovah/God, you shall not go up,
nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel.

Return every man to his house;
for this thing is from me.

They hearkened therefore
to the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar}
of Jehovah/God,
and returned to depart,
according to the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar}
of Jehovah/God.

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim,
and dwelt therein;
and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart/'right lobe',
Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David.

27 If this people go up to do sacrifice
in the house of Jehovah/God at Jerusalem,
then shall the heart/'right lobe' of this people
turn again unto their lord,
even unto Rehoboam king of Judah,
and they shall kill me,
and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

28 Whereupon the king took counsel,
and made two calves of gold, and said unto them,
It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem . . .
behold your 'elohiym/gods, O Israel,
which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

29 And he set the one in Bethel,
and the other put he in Dan.

30 And this thing became a sin . . .
for the people went to worship before the one,
even unto Dan.

31 And he made an house of high places,
and made priests of the lowest of the people,
which were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month,
on the fifteenth day of the month,
like unto the feast that is in Judah,
and he offered upon the altar.

So did he in Bethel,
sacrificing unto the calves that he had made
and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places
which he had made.

33 So he offered upon the altar
which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month,
even in the month which he had devised of his own heart/'right lobe';
and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel
and he offered upon the altar,
and burnt incense.