1 Kings 12

1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.Cross-references: Gen 12:6 · Gen 33:18 · Josh 20:7 · Josh 24:1 · Josh 24:32 · Judg 9:1 · +5 more

2When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt;Cross-references: 1Ki 11:26 · 1Ki 11:40 · 2Chr 10:2

3and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4“Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”Cross-references: 1Sam 8:11 · 1Ki 4:7 · 1Ki 4:20 · 1Ki 9:15 · 1Ki 9:22 · 2Chr 10:4 · +3 more

5He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” So the people departed.Cross-references: 1Ki 12:12

6King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer these people?”Cross-references: 2Sam 16:20 · 2Sam 17:5 · 1Ki 4:2 · Job 12:12 · Job 32:7 · Prov 27:10 · +2 more

7They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”Cross-references: 2Sam 15:3 · 1Ki 12:13 · 2Chr 10:6 · Prov 15:1 · Eccl 10:4 · Zech 1:13 · +2 more

8But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.Cross-references: 2Chr 10:8 · 2Chr 25:15 · Prov 1:2 · Prov 1:25 · Prov 1:30 · Prov 19:20 · +2 more

9He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”Cross-references: 2Sam 17:5 · 1Ki 22:6 · 2Chr 10:9 · 2Chr 18:5

10The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us’—tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.Cross-references: 2Sam 17:7 · 2Chr 10:10 · Prov 10:14 · Prov 18:6 · Prov 28:25 · Prov 29:23 · +1 more

11Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”Cross-references: Ex 1:13 · Ex 5:5 · Ex 5:18 · 1Sam 8:18 · 1Ki 12:14 · 2Chr 16:10 · +5 more

12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”Cross-references: 1Ki 12:5 · 2Chr 10:12

13The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him,Cross-references: Gen 16:6 · Gen 42:7 · Gen 42:30 · Ex 5:2 · Ex 10:28 · Judg 12:1 · +12 more

14and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”Cross-references: Ex 1:14 · Ex 5:5 · Ex 5:16 · 1Ki 12:10 · 2Chr 22:4 · Esth 1:16 · +9 more

15So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.Cross-references: Deut 2:30 · Judg 14:4 · 1Sam 15:29 · 2Sam 17:14 · 1Ki 11:11 · 1Ki 11:29 · +20 more

16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.Cross-references: Judg 8:35 · 2Sam 7:15 · 2Sam 15:13 · 2Sam 16:11 · 2Sam 20:1 · 1Ki 11:13 · +18 more

17But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.Cross-references: 1Ki 11:13 · 1Ki 11:36 · 2Chr 10:17 · 2Chr 11:13

18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.Cross-references: Ex 17:4 · Num 14:10 · 2Sam 20:24 · 1Ki 4:6 · 1Ki 5:14 · 1Ki 20:18 · +6 more

19So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.Cross-references: Josh 4:9 · 1Sam 10:19 · 2Ki 17:21 · 2Chr 10:19 · 2Chr 13:5 · 2Chr 13:17 · +2 more

20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.Cross-references: 1Sam 10:24 · 1Ki 11:13 · 1Ki 11:32 · 1Ki 11:36 · 1Ki 12:17 · Hos 8:4 · +1 more

21When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.Cross-references: 1Chr 21:5 · 2Chr 11:1 · 2Chr 14:8 · 2Chr 14:11 · 2Chr 17:14 · Prov 21:30

22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,Cross-references: Deut 33:1 · 1Ki 13:1 · 1Ki 13:4 · 1Ki 13:11 · 1Ki 17:18 · 1Ki 17:24 · +7 more

23“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,Cross-references: 1Ki 12:17

24‘Yahweh says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to Yahweh’s word, and returned and went their way, according to Yahweh’s word.Cross-references: Num 14:42 · 1Ki 11:29 · 1Ki 12:15 · 2Chr 11:4 · 2Chr 25:7 · 2Chr 25:10 · +2 more

25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel.Cross-references: Gen 32:30 · Judg 8:8 · Judg 8:17 · Judg 9:1 · Judg 9:45 · 1Ki 9:15 · +5 more

26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.Cross-references: 1Sam 27:1 · 1Ki 11:38 · 2Chr 20:20 · Ps 14:1 · Isa 7:9 · Jer 38:18 · +6 more

27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”Cross-references: Gen 12:12 · Gen 26:7 · Deut 12:5 · Deut 12:14 · Deut 16:2 · Deut 16:6 · +5 more

28So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”Cross-references: Ex 1:10 · Ex 20:4 · Ex 32:4 · Ex 32:8 · Deut 4:14 · 1Ki 12:8 · +8 more

29He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.Cross-references: Gen 12:8 · Gen 14:14 · Gen 28:19 · Gen 35:1 · Deut 34:1 · Judg 18:27 · +5 more

30This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.Cross-references: 1Ki 13:34 · 2Ki 10:31 · 2Ki 17:21

31He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.Cross-references: Num 3:10 · Deut 24:15 · 1Ki 13:24 · 1Ki 13:32 · 2Ki 17:32 · 2Chr 11:14 · +4 more

32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.Cross-references: Lev 23:33 · Num 29:12 · 1Ki 8:2 · 1Ki 8:5 · Ezek 43:8 · Amos 7:10 · +1 more

33He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.Cross-references: Num 15:39 · 1Sam 13:12 · 1Ki 13:1 · 2Chr 26:6 · Ps 106:39 · Isa 29:13 · +2 more