1And Rekhabaam went to Shekeem because all Israel came to Shekeem to make him King. 2And when Yorbaam son of Nebat heard and he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from before King Solomon, and Yorbaam had settled in Egypt 3And they sent and they called him and Yorbaam came and all the people of Israel, and they said to Rakhab. 4“Your father hardened our yoke. Now, take away from the hard oppression of your father and from his severe yoke that he put upon us, and we will work for you.” 5And Rekhabaam said to them: “Go, and in three days come to me.” And all the people went.

6And King Rekhabaam took counsel with the Elders who were standing before his father when he was living, and he said to them: “How do you counsel me that I return an answer to the people?” 7And they said to him: “If today you will be a Servant to this people and you will serve them and answer them and will speak good words to them, they will be Servants to you all the days.” 8And he abandoned the counsel of the Elders which they advised him and he took counsel with the boys who grew up with him who stood before him. 9And he said to them: “What do you counsel me that I shall give as an answer to the people who say to me,”Take away our yoke that your father put upon us?” 10And the boys who grew up with him said to him: “Thus say to the people who said to you, ”Your father hardened our yoke. You lighten it upon us.” Say to them, “My little finger is thicker than the thumb of my father. 11My father hardened for you a strong yoke. I shall add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, and I shall chastise you with pointy tipped scourges!”

12And Yorbaam came and all Israel to Rekhabaam on the third day, just as the King said to them, “Come to me on the third day.” 13And the King answered the people severely and abandoned the counsel of the old men with which they had advised him. 14And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men: “My father hardened your yoke; I shall add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips and I shall chastise you with pointy tipped scourges.” 15And the King did not listen to any of the people because there was a stirring up of strife from before LORD JEHOVAH, because LORD JEHOVAH would confirm his statement that he spoke by the agency of his Servant Akhiah the Prophet, the Shilonite, to Yorbaam, son of Nebat.

16And all Israel saw that the King did not listen to them, and the people did not answer the King, and they said to him: “We have no portion with David, neither an inheritance with the son of Iyshay! To your tents, Israel! Therefore see to your house, David!” And the children of Israel went, every man, to his town.

17And the children of Israel were dwelling in their towns, and Yehuda made Rekhabaam, son of Solomon, king over them. 18And King Rekhabaam sent Aduniram who was over taxation to all Israel, and all of the house of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died, and King Rekhabaam was strengthened to embark on a chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem. 19And those of the house of Israel have provoked those of the house of David until today.

20And when all Israel heard that Yorbaam returned, they sent and they called him to the congregation, and they made him King over all Israel, and there was none following after those of the house of David, but only the tribe of Yehuda by themselves.

21And Rekhabaam came to Jerusalem, and all of the house of Yehuda gathered, and the tribe of the house of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand men, workers of war, to fight with those of the house of Israel to return the kingdom to Rekhabaam, son of Solomon 22And the word of LORD JEHOVAH was upon Shemaia, and he said to him. 23“Say to Rekhabaam, son of Solomon, King of Yehuda, and to all those of the house of Yehuda, and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying. 24‘Thus says LORD JEHOVAH: “You shall not go up and you shall not fight with your brothers. Return, sons of Israel, each man to his house, because this response has been from my presence.” And they listened to the word of LORD JEHOVAH, and they returned to go, each man to his house.

25And Yorbaam built Shekim in the mountain of the tribe of the house of Aphrim, and he dwelt in it, and he went out from there and built Phanuel. 26And Yorbaam said in his heart: “The kingdom is returning to the house of David. 27If it is that this people go up to make sacrifice in the house of LORD JEHOVAH in Jerusalem, the heart of people this is returning to Rekhabaam King of Yehuda, and they will kill me, and they will return to Rekhabaam their Lord, King of Yehuda. 28And the King took counsel and made two calves of gold, and he said to all Israel: “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem!” And he said, “Behold your gods, Israel, which brought you out from the land of Egypt!” 29And he put one in Bayth Eil and one he put in Dan. 30And this response became a sin, and the people went in front of one calf in Dan. 31And he made a house of idols, and he made Priests of the people, those who were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Yorbaam made a feast in the eighth month at full moon in the month, like the feast that is in Yehuda, and he went up to the altar; and so he did also in Bayth Eil 33At full moon in the eighth month, in the month which he had devised from his heart, and he made a feast for the children of Israel and he went up upon the altar to place incense.