1 Kings 12

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

1Rehoboam went to a town called Shechem. All Israel had gone there to make him king.

2And 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;)

2Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, heard about this. He was still in Egypt, where he had run away from King Solomon.

3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

3So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and all the people of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam.

4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

4They said, "Your father made our work very hard. Make our work lighter, and we will serve you."

NoteA "yoke" is a heavy wooden bar put on animals to make them pull a load. Here it means hard work and heavy taxes.

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

5Rehoboam said, "Go away for three days. Then come back to me." So the people left.

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

6King Rehoboam talked with the older men who had helped his father Solomon. He asked, "What should I say to these people?"

7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

7They said, "Serve these people today. Speak kind words to them. Then they will serve you always."

8But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

8But Rehoboam did not take the older men's advice. He asked the young men who had grown up with him and worked for him.

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

9He said to them, "What should I tell these people? They asked me to make their work lighter."

10And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

10The young men who grew up with him said, "Tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.'

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

11"Say, 'My father gave you heavy work. I will give you even more. My father beat you with whips. I will beat you with scorpions.'"

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

12Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam. The king had told them to return on the third day.

13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

13The king spoke to the people in a hard, unkind way. He did not do what the older men had told him.

14And spake 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.

14He said what the young men told him to say. "My father gave you heavy work, and I will give you more. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions."

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

15So the king would not listen to the people. This happened because the LORD had planned it. He was keeping his word, which the prophet Ahijah had spoken to Jeroboam.

16So 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 thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

16All Israel saw that the king would not listen. So they said, "We have no share in David's family. Go home, Israel! David, take care of your own family." So the people of Israel went home.

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

17But some people of Israel lived in the towns of Judah. Rehoboam was still their king.

18Then 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.

18King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, the man in charge of forced work. All Israel threw stones at him until he died. King Rehoboam hurried into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.

19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

19So Israel turned against David's family, and they are still apart today.

20And 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.

20All Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back. They called him to the meeting and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah stayed with David's family.

21And 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, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

21Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and gathered the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He gathered 180,000 of his best fighting men. He wanted to fight Israel and win the kingdom back.

22But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

22But God spoke to Shemaiah, a man of God who carried God's messages.

23Speak 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,

23God said, "Speak to Rehoboam, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin.

24Thus saith the LORD, Ye 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 of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

24"Tell them the LORD says, 'Do not fight your brothers, the people of Israel. Go home, each of you. I made this happen.'" So they obeyed the LORD and went home.

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

25Then Jeroboam built up the town of Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and he lived there. Later he went out and built up Penuel.

26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

26Jeroboam said to himself, "The kingdom might go back to David's family.

27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart 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.

27"If my people go to Jerusalem to worship at the LORD's house, they will love Rehoboam again. Then they will kill me and go back to him."

28Whereupon 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 thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

28So the king got advice and made two calves out of gold. He said, "It is too far for you to go to Jerusalem. Israel, here are your gods, who brought you out of Egypt."

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

29He put one calf in the town of Bethel. He put the other one in the town of Dan.

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

30This became a sin. The people walked all the way to Dan to worship one of the calves.

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

31Jeroboam built places to worship on the hills. He picked priests from all kinds of people, not from the family of Levi.

32And 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.

32Jeroboam made a special feast day on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. It was like the feast in Judah. He gave gifts on the altar in Bethel to the calves he had made. He also put his own priests there.

33So 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; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

33On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, he gave gifts on the altar he had built in Bethel. He picked that month himself. He made a feast for the people of Israel, gave gifts on the altar, and burned sweet-smelling incense.