12:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 1 , Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
12:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 2 , When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
12:3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 3 , So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
12:4 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 4 , 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.'
12:5 Rehoboam answered, 'Go away for three days and then come back to me.' So the people went away.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 5 , Rehoboam answered, 'Go away for three days and then come back to me.' So the people went away.
12:6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. 'How would you advise me to answer these people?' he asked.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 6 , Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. 'How would you advise me to answer these people?' he asked.
12:7 They replied, 'If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 7 , They replied, 'If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.'
12:8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 8 , But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
12:9 He asked them, 'What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 9 , He asked them, 'What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?'
12:10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, 'Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'--tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 10 , The young men who had grown up with him replied, 'Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'--tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
12:11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.''
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 11 , My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.''
12:12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, 'Come back to me in three days.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 12 , Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, 'Come back to me in three days.'
12:13 The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 13 , The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,
12:14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, 'My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 14 , he followed the advice of the young men and said, 'My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'
12:15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 15 , So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
12:16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: 'What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!' So the Israelites went home.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 16 , When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: 'What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!' So the Israelites went home.
12:17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 17 , But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
12:18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 18 , King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
12:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 19 , So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
12:20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 20 , When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
12:21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 21 , When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
12:22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 22 , But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
12:23 'Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 23 , 'Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
12:24 'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'' So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 24 , 'This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.'' So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered.
12:25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 25 , Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.
12:26 Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 26 , Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
12:27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 27 , If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.'
12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 28 , After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
12:29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 29 , One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
12:30 And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 30 , And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.
12:31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 31 , Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.
12:32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 32 , He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
12:33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
The NIV Book of 1Kings , Chapter 12 , Verse 33 , On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
