(KJV) 1 Kings 12¹

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⥃Rebellion against Rehoboam ^{[ 2 Chronicles 10:1–15 ]}

[1] And Rehoboam² went to Shechem³: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. [2] And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat⁴, who was yet in Egypt, heard [of it], (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) [3] That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, [4] Thy father made our yoke⁵ grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. [5] And he said unto them, Depart yet [for] three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

[6] [¶]And king Rehoboam consulted⁶ with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? [7] And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt⁷ be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good⁸ words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. [8] But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, [and] which stood before him:⁹ [9] And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?¹⁰ [10] And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou¹¹ speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou [it] lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little [finger¹²] shall be thicker than my father’s loins. [11] And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add¹³ to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise¹⁴ you with scorpions¹⁵.

[12] [¶]So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again¹⁶ the third day. [13] And the king answered¹⁷ the people roughly¹⁸, and forsook¹⁹ the old men’s counsel that they gave him; [14] And spake to them after the counsel²⁰ of the young men, saying, My father made²¹ your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. [15] Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause²² was from the Lord, that he might²³ perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

⥃The Kingdom Divided ^{[ 2 Chronicles 10:16–19 ]}

[16] So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion²⁴ have we in David? neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents²⁵, O Israel: now see²⁶ to thine own house, David. So Israel²⁷ departed unto their tents. [17] But [as for] the children²⁸ of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. [18] Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram²⁹, who [was] over the tribute; and all Israel³⁰ stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed³¹ to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem³². [19] So Israel³³ rebelled³⁴ against the house of David unto this day³⁵.

⥃Shemaiah’s Prophecy ^{[ 2 Chronicles 11:1–4 ]}

[20] And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him³⁶ king over all Israel: there was none that followed³⁷ the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

[21] [¶]And when Rehoboam³⁸ was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred³⁹ and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. [22] But the word of God came unto Shemaiah⁴⁰ the man⁴¹ of God, saying,⁴² [23] Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,⁴³ [24] Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up⁴⁴, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing⁴⁵ is from me. They hearkened⁴⁶ therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.

⥃Jeroboam’s Idolatry

[25] Then Jeroboam built⁴⁷ Shechem⁴⁸ in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel⁴⁹. [26] And Jeroboam said in his heart⁵⁰, Now shall⁵¹ the kingdom return to the house of David: [27] If this people go up⁵² to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall⁵³ kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. [28] Whereupon the king took counsel⁵⁴, and made two calves [of] gold⁵⁵, and said unto them, It is too much⁵⁶ for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold⁵⁷ thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. [29] And he set the one in Beth–el⁵⁸, and the other put he in Dan⁵⁹. [30] And this thing became a sin⁶⁰: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan. [31] And he made an house⁶¹ of high places, and made priests⁶² of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. [32] And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto⁶³ the feast that [is] in Judah, and he offered upon the altar⁶⁴. So did he in Beth–el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth–el the priests of the high places which he had made. [33] So he offered upon the altar⁶⁵ which he had made in Beth–el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [even] in the month⁶⁶ which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered⁶⁷ upon the altar, and burnt incense⁶⁸.

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