¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had told them, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king answered them with strong words. King Rehoboam did not listen to the wise words of the leaders. ¹⁴ Instead he listened to the words of the young men. And he said to them, “My father made your load heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”