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I KINGS ยท Chapter 12
12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem
to make him king.
12:2 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;)
12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation
of Israel came, and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying,
12:4 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.
12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again
to me. And the people departed.
12:6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before
Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do all of you advise
that I may answer this people?
12:7 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 for ever.
12:8 But 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:
12:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give all of you that we may
answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which
your father did put upon us lighter?
12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him,
saying, Thus shall you speak unto this people that 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.
12:11 And now whereas my father did load 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.
12:12 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.
12:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old
men's counsel that they gave him;
12:14 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.
12:15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause
was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spoke
by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
12:16 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.
12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of
Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
12:18 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.
12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
12:20 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.
12:21 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, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel,
to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
12:23 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,
12:24 Thus says the LORD, All of 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 of the LORD,
and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein;
and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return
to the house of David:
12:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD
at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people return unto their lord,
even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again
to Rehoboam king of Judah.
12:28 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 gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before
the one, even unto Dan.
12:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the
low of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
12:32 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.
12:33 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; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and
he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
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