| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. | 1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. |
| 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. | 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it--for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon's presence--Jeroboam returned from Egypt. |
| 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said, | 3So they summoned him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: |
| 4“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” | 4"Your father made our yoke difficult. Therefore, lighten your father's harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." |
| 5Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed. | 5Rehoboam replied, "Return to me in three days." So the people left. |
| 6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. | 6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" |
| 7They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” | 7They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever." |
| 8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. | 8But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him, and he consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, the ones serving him. |
| 9He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” | 9He asked them, "What message do you advise we send back to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us?" |
| 10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! | 10Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, "This is what you should say to the people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!' This is what you should say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. |
| 11Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ” | 11Now therefore, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.'" |
| 12After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.” | 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered, saying, "Return to me on the third day." |
| 13And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders | 13Then the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the elders' advice |
| 14and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.” | 14and spoke to them according to the young men's advice, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips." |
| 15So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. | 15The king did not listen to the people because the turn of events came from God, in order that the LORD might carry out His word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 16When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, | 16When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, each man to your tent; David, look after your own house now! So all Israel went to their tents. |
| 17but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. | 17But as for the Israelites living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. |
| 18Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem. | 18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. |
| 19So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. | 19Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today. |
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