1 Kings 12 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Kingdom Divided

12 Then Rehoboam(A) went to Shechem,(B) for all Israel(C) had gone to Shechem to make him king.(D) 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence,(E) Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.[a] 3 They summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: 4 “Your father made our yoke difficult.(F) You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us,(G) and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam replied, “Go home for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders(H) who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to these people?”

7 They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”(I)

8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him(J) and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”[b](K)

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”[c]

15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord(L) to carry out His word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.(M) 16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:

What portion do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.(N)
Israel, return to your tents;
David, now look after your own house!(O)

So Israel went to their tents, 17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.(P)

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram,[d](Q) who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.(R)

Rehoboam in Jerusalem

20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back,(S) they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel.(T) No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.(U) 21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem,(V) he mobilized 180,000 choice warriors from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin(W) to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But a revelation from God came to Shemaiah,(X) the man of God: 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, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for I have done this.’”(Y)

So they listened to what the Lord said and went back as He had told them.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

25 Jeroboam built Shechem(Z) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel.(AA) 26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David.(AB) 27 If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem,(AC) the heart of these people will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will murder me and go back to the king of Judah.” 28 So the king sought advice.

Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, “Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God[e] who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”(AD) 29 He set up one in Bethel,(AE) and put the other in Dan.(AF) 30 This led to sin;(AG) the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan.[f](AH)

31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places(AI) and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites.(AJ) 32 Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah.(AK) He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up.(AL) 33 He offered sacrifices on[g] the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own.(AM) He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.(AN)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 12:2 LXX, Vg read Jeroboam returned from Egypt; 2Ch 10:2
  2. 1 Kings 12:11 Lit with scorpions
  3. 1 Kings 12:14 Lit with scorpions
  4. 1 Kings 12:18 LXX reads Adoniram; 1Kg 4:6; 5:14
  5. 1 Kings 12:28 Or here are your gods
  6. 1 Kings 12:30 Some LXX mss read calves to Bethel and the other to Dan
  7. 1 Kings 12:33 Or He went up to

Cross references

  1. 12:1-19 : 2Ch 10:1-19
  2. 12:1 : Jos 12:1; 1Kg 12:25
  3. 12:1 : 2Sm 20:1-2; 1Kg 12:16-17
  4. 12:1 : Jdg 9:6
  5. 12:2 : 1Kg 11:40
  6. 12:4 : 1Sm 8:11-18
  7. 12:4 : 1Kg 4:20
  8. 12:6 : 1Kg 4:2-19
  9. 12:7 : 2Ch 10:7; Pr 15:1
  10. 12:8 : Lv 19:32
  11. 12:10-11 : Ex 1:13-14; 5:6-9; 2Ch 10:10-11
  12. 12:15 : Dt 2:30; 1Kg 12:24
  13. 12:15 : 1Kg 11:29-39
  14. 12:16 : 2Sm 5:3, 5
  15. 12:16 : 2Sm 20:1
  16. 12:17 : 1Kg 11:13, 36
  17. 12:18 : 2Sm 20:24; 1Kg 4:6; 5:14
  18. 12:19 : 2Kg 21:17
  19. 12:20 : 1Kg 12:3
  20. 12:20 : 1Kg 11:11
  21. 12:20 : 1Kg 11:13, 36
  22. 12:21-24 : 2Ch 11:1-4
  23. 12:21 : 2Sm 19:17
  24. 12:22 : 2Ch 12:5, 7
  25. 12:24 : 1Kg 12:15
  26. 12:25 : Gn 12:6; Jdg 9:6; 1Kg 12:1
  27. 12:25 : Jdg 8:8-9, 17
  28. 12:26 : 1Kg 11:38
  29. 12:27 : Dt 12:5-7, 14
  30. 12:28 : Ex 32:4, 8
  31. 12:29 : Gn 12:8; 28:19
  32. 12:29 : Jdg 18:29
  33. 12:30 : 1Kg 13:34; 2Kg 17:21
  34. 12:30 : Ex 20:4-6; Dt 5:8-10
  35. 12:31 : 1Kg 3:3; 11:7
  36. 12:31 : 2Kg 17:32
  37. 12:32 : Lv 23:33-34; Nm 29:12
  38. 12:32 : 2Ch 11:15
  39. 12:33 : Nm 15:39
  40. 12:33 : 2Kg 23:15

You Might Also Like:

1 Kings 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he [is] yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt), 3 that they send and call for him; ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 Forsooth Rehoboam came into Shechem; for all Israel was gathered thither to make him king. 2 And soothly Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, when he was yet in Egypt, and fled from the face of king Solomon, turned again from Egypt, for the death of Solomon was heard; (And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, when...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, 3 and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, a border city between Ephraim and Manasseh, because the entire community of Israel had gathered there to install him as the new king. 2 Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) received word of this while he was living in Egypt, hiding from King Solomon. 3 Then the people of the nor...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Rehoboam’s Foolishness12 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from the face of King Solomon and settled in Egypt. 3 They summoned him, so Jeroboam and all the cong...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehobo′am went to Shechem,[a] for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And when Jerobo′am the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from King Solomon), then Jerobo′am returned from[b] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called hi...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehobo′am went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And when Jerobo′am the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, whither he had fled from King Solomon), then Jerobo′am returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him; ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Northern Tribes Secede12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.(A)2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam remained in Egypt.(B)3 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Northern Tribes Revolt12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt,[a] for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembl...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

Israel and Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now Jeroboam the son of Nebat was still in Egypt where he had run away from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard the news, he returned from Egypt. 3 They sent for him. Then Jeroboam and all the peop...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(A)12 And (B)Rehoboam went to (C)Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when (D)Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in (E)Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 tha...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Israel rebels against Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New International Version (NIV)

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam(A)12 Rehoboam went to Shechem,(B) for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled(C) from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assem...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Israel Refuses to Follow Rehoboam12 Rehoboam went to the city of Shechem. All the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now ...
Read More

1 Kings 12 - New English Translation (NET)

Rehoboam Loses His Kingdom12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in[a] Shechem to make Rehoboam[b] king. 2 [c] When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.[d] 3 They sent for him,[e] and ...
Read More