II. The Reign of Jeroboam^[a]

Chapter 12

Political Disunity.^{[b] 1} Rehoboam went to Shechem,^[c] where all Israel had come to make him king. ² When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it, he was still in Egypt. He had fled from King Solomon and remained in Egypt, ³ and they sent for him.

Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and they said to Rehoboam, ⁴ “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. If you now lighten the harsh servitude and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, we will be your servants.” ⁵ He answered them, “Come back to me in three days,” and the people went away.

⁶ King Rehoboam asked advice of the elders who had been in his father Solomon’s service while he was alive, and asked, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” ⁷ They replied, “If today you become the servant of this people and serve them, and give them a favorable answer, they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he ignored the advice the elders had given him, and asked advice of the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service. ⁹ He said to them, “What answer do you advise that we should give this people, who have told me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father imposed on us’?” ¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is what you must say to this people who have told you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you lighten it for us.’ You must say, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹ My father put a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’” ¹² Jeroboam and the whole people came back to King Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had instructed them: “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, the king gave the people a harsh answer. ¹⁴ He spoke to them as the young men had advised: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.”