2 Chronicles 10
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel was coming to Shechem to make him king.
And Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come together to make him king.
2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard this (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
And when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had news of it, (for he was in Egypt where he had gone in flight from King Solomon, ) he came back from Egypt.
3 So they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all Israel came; they spoke to Rehoboam and said,
And they sent for him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,
4 “Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore, make your father's hard work easier, and lighten the heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Your father put a hard yoke on us: if you will make the conditions under which your father kept us down less cruel, and the weight of the yoke he put on us less hard, then we will be your servants.
5 Rehoboam said to them, “Come again to me after three days.” So the people left.
And he said to them, Come to me again after three days. So the people went away.
6 King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive; he said, “How would you advise me to bring an answer to these people?”
Then King Rehoboam took the opinion of the old men who had been with Solomon his father when he was living, and said, In your opinion, what answer am I to give to this people?
7 They spoke to him and said, “If you are good to this people and please them, and say good words to them, then they will always be your servants.”
And they said to him, If you are kind to this people, pleasing them and saying good words to them, then they will be your servants for ever.
8 But Rehoboam ignored the advice of the old men that they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
But he gave no attention to the opinion of the old men, but went to the young men of his generation who were waiting before him.
9 He said to them, “What advice do you give me, so that we may answer the people who spoke to me and said, 'Lighten the yoke that your father put on us'?”
And he said to them, What is your opinion? What answer are we to give to this people who have said to me, Make less the weight of the yoke which your father put on us?
10 The young men who had grown up with Rehoboam spoke to him, saying, “This is how you should speak to the people who told you that your father Solomon made their yoke heavy, but that you must make it lighter. This is what you should say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
And the young men of his generation said to him, This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying, Your father put a hard yoke on us, but will you make it less; say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's body;
11 So now, although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.'”
If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder: my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had given orders, saying, Come to me again on the third day.
13 Rehoboam spoke to them harshly, ignoring the advice of the old men.
And the king gave them a rough answer. So King Rehoboam gave no attention to the suggestion of the old men,
14 He spoke to them following the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”
But gave them the answer put forward by the young men, saying, My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder; my father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes.
15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn in events brought about by God, that Yahweh might carry out his word that Ahijah the Shilonite had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
So the king did not give ear to the people; for this came about by the purpose of God, so that the Lord might give effect to his word which he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered him and said, “What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Each of you should go back to his tent, Israel. Now see to your own house, David.” So all Israel returned to their tents.
And when all Israel saw that the king would give no attention to them, the people in answer said to the king, What part have we in David? what is our heritage in the son of Jesse? every man to your tents, O Israel; now see to your house, David. So all Israel went to their tents.
17 But as for the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
But Rehoboam was still king over those of the children of Israel who were living in the towns of Judah.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was over the forced laborers, but the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam fled quickly in his chariot to Jerusalem.
Then Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the overseer of the forced work; and he was stoned to death by all Israel. And King Rehoboam went quickly and got into his carriage to go in flight to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
So Israel was turned away from the family of David to this day.
