Rebellion against Rehoboam

1And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king. 2(OMITTED TEXT) 3And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy; 4but do thou now lighten somewhat of the hard service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.

6And the king referred the matter to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do ye advise that I should answer this people? 7And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt this day be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them, and wilt speak to them good words, then will they be thy servants continually. 8But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence. 9And he said to them, What counsel do ye give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which thy father has put upon us? 10And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people who have spoken to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and do thou now lighten it from off us: thus shalt say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 11And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day. 13And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him. 14And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15And the king hearkened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

The Kingdom Divided

16And all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to thy tents: now feed thine own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.

17(OMITTED TEXT) 18And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day.

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

20And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.

21And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon. 22And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying, 23Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

25And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and dwelt in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to the Lord, and to their master, to Roboam king of Juda, and they will slay me. 28And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you to have gone hitherto to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he put one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord. 31And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Juda; 33and went up to the altar which he made in Baethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Baethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.