1 Kings 12

1 And Rehobo'am went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.

2 And it came to pass, when Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, heard of it, (but he was yet in Egypt, whither he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jerobo'am dwelt in Egypt;

But Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.

3 And they had sent and called him; ) that Jerobo'am and all the congregation of Israel came, and spoke unto Rehobo'am, saying,

And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

4 Thy father made our yoke hard; but do thou now make lighter the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now therefore do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

5 And he said unto them, Go away yet for three days, and then return to me. And the people went away.

And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,

6 Then consulted king Rehobo'am with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I should give an answer to this people?

King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people?

7 And they spoke unto him, saying, If thou wilt this day be a servant unto this people, and wilt serve them, and be attentive to them, and speak to them good words; then will they be servants unto thee for all times.

They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people today, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.

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, those who stood before him:

But he left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and stood before him.

9 And he said unto them, What do you counsel how we should give an answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make lighter the yoke which thy father did put upon us?

And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter?

10 Then spoke unto him the young men that were grown up with him, saying, Thus must thou say unto this people that have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but do thou make it lighter unto us: thus must thou speak unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

11 And now, if my father hath burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will even add to your yoke; if my father hath chastised you with whips, then will I chastise you with scorpion-thorns.

And now my father put a, heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

12 When now Jerobo'am and all the people came to Rehobo'am on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, Return to me on the third day.

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again the third day.

13 The king answered the people harshly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they had advised him;

And the king answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,

14 And he spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will even add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpion-thorns.

And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

15 Thus the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was so brought about from the Lord, in order that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord had spoken by means of Achiyah the Shilonite unto Jerobo'am the son of Nebat.

And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people gave the king an answer saying, What portion have we in David? nor have we an inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel: now see to thy own house, David. So did Israel go away unto their tents.

Then the people seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai? Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now David look to thy own house. So Israel departed to their dwellings.

17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, over them did Rehobo'am reign.

But as for all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam reigned over them.

18 Then sent king Rehobo'am Adoram, who was over the tribute; but all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehobo'am made speed with all his might to get up into his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

Then king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died. Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem:

19 So did Israel rebel against the house of David unto this day.

And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.

20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jerobo'am was returned, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, save the tribe of Judah alone.

And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda only.

21 And when Rehobo'am was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehobo'am the son of Solomon.

And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred four-score thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam the son of Solomon.

22 But the word of God came unto Shema'yah the man of God, saying,

But the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:

23 Say unto Rehobo'am, the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying:

24 Thus hath said the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight with your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for from me hath this thing been brought about. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned to go home, according to the word of the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.

25 And Jerobo'am built Shechem in the mountain of Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and he went out from there and built Penuel.

And Jeroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence he built Phanuel.

26 And Jerobo'am said in his heart, Now may the kingdom return to the house of David:

And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David,

27 If this people go up to prepare sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then may the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehobo'am the king of Judah, and they might kill me, and return to Rehobo'am the king of Judah.

If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.

28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and he made two calves of gold, and said unto the people, You have been long enough going up to Jerusalem: behold, here are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And finding out a device he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

29 And he placed the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.

And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:

30 And this thing became a sin; and the people went before the one, as far as Dan.

And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf as far as Dan.

31 And he made a house of the high-places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

And he made temples in the high places, and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Jerobo'am made a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar; so did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he stationed at Beth-el the priests of the high-places whom he had made.

And he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda. And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made.

33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had falsely devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast unto the children of Israel, and he went up to the altar, to burn incense.

And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went upon the altar to burn incense.