1 Kings

1 Kings 12 ©

1 The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to make Rehoboam king, appeal to him with Jeroboam at their head for redress of grievances. 6 Rehoboam slighteth the good advice of his father's old counsellors, and consulteth with the young men, who advise to answer the people roughly. 12 He followeth their indiscreet counsel. 16 The ten tribes revolting kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam flee. 20 Jeroboam is made king over Israel. 21 Rehoboam raiseth an army to reduce the revolters, but is forbidden to proceed by the prophet Shemaiah. 25 Jeroboam buildeth Shechem and Penuel. 26 He setteth up the idolatrous worship of the golden calves in Beth-el and Dan.

1

AND aRehoboam went to bShechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

a 2Ch. 10.1. Mat. 1.7. 1Ch. 3.10.
b Jos. 17.7; 24.1. Ju. 9.1. Ge. 12.6; 23.19.
2

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in cEgypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and dJeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

c ch. 11.40,43. 2Ch. 10.2-5.
d ch. 11.26.
3

That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

4

Thy father made our eyoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

e ch. 4.7,22,23; 5.18; 9.15; 11.7,8,33.
5

And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6

¶And king Rehoboam fconsulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

f Je. 42.2,5; 43.2. Job 12.12,13; 32.7. 2Ch. 10.6,7.
7

And they spake unto him, saying, gIf thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

g 2Ch. 10.7. Pr. 15.1; 29.15. Ec. 3.1.
8

But he hforsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

h v.6,7,9-11. 2Ch. 10.8-11.
9

And he said unto them, iWhat counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

i 2Ch. 10.9; 18.5-7.
10

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, jMy little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

j Pr. 18.6,7; 10.6,11,14. 2Ch. 22.4,5; 10.10. Ps. 7.16; 140.11. v.13.
11

And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12

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

13

And the king answered the people 1roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

14

And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, kMy father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

k v.10. Pr. 12.13; 18.6,7.
15

Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was lfrom the LORD, that mhe might perform his saying, which nthe LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

l Ju. 14.4; 9.23. ch. 22.23. 2Ch. 10.15; 22.7; 25.20. 2Sa. 24.1. Am. 3.6. De. 29.4. v.24. Jos. 11.20.
m 1Sa. 15.29. ch. 11.29-38. 2Ki. 9.36; 10.10.
n ch. 11.11,31.
16

¶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, oWhat portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

o Pr. 15.1; 18.6,7. 2Sa. 20.1. 1Sa. 22.7.
17

But as for pthe children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

p ch. 11.13,32,35,36. v.20.
18

Then king Rehoboam sent qAdoram, who was over the tribute; and rall Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam 2made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

q ch. 4.6; 5.14.
r Ac. 7.57,58.
19

So Israel 3rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

20

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they ssent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was tnone that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

s 1Sa. 10.24. Ho. 1.10,11; 8.4. Ps. 75.6,7. Da. 2.21; 4.34,35.
t ch. 11.13,32,36. Ec. 10.16. v.17,21,23.
21

¶And uwhen Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

u 2Ch. 11.1-4. Ps. 33.16; 146.3. Pr. 21.30,31.
22

But vthe word of God came unto Shemaiah the wman of God, saying,

v 2Ch. 11.2-4.
w ch. 13.1. 1Sa. 9.6. 2Ch. 12.5,7,15. Ju. 13.6.
23

Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the xremnant of the people, saying,

x v.27. 2Ch. 11.13,16.
24

Thus saith the LORD, yYe shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; zfor this thing is from me. They ahearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

a 2Ch. 25.10; 28.13. Pr. 21.3. 1Sa. 15.22.
y Nu. 14.42. 2Ch. 11.4; 25.7,8; 28.13.
z v.15. ch. 11.29-38.
25

¶Then Jeroboam bbuilt cShechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built dPenuel.

b ch. 9.15-18. 2Ch. 11.5-11.
c Ge. 12.6; 34.2. Jos. 21.21; 24.1. Ju. 9.1. Jn. 4.5. Ac. 7.16.
d Ge. 32.30,31. Ju. 8.17; 9.45.
26

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

e Ps. 14.1. Ro. 1.30; 8.7,8. Ge. 6.5. Je. 17.9.
27

If this people fgo up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they gshall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

f De. 12.5-7.
g ch. 11.9; 13.34. Pr. 29.25.
28

Whereupon the king htook counsel, and made itwo calves of gold, and said unto them, jIt is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

h Ex. 1.10. Is. 30.1. Ps. 36.1-4. ch. 11.33,38.
i 2Ki. 10.29; 17.16. Ho. 8.5,6; 10.5; 13.2.
j Ge. 3.5. Ex. 32.1,4,8. 2Pe. 2.19.
29

And he set the one in kBeth-el, and the other put he in lDan.

k Ge. 28.19; 12.8; 31.13; 35.1,3,6. Jos. 7.2; 8.9; 16.2. Ho. 4.15.
l Ju. 18.29-31. Jos. 19.47.
30

And this thing mbecame a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even nunto Dan.

m ch. 13.34. 2Ki. 10.31; 17.21. Ho. 5.11.
n v.29. Ju. 18.7,27,28; 20.21. 2Sa. 24.2,6; 17.11.
31

And he made an ohouse of high places, and made priests pof the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

o ch. 13.32. Eze. 16.25. Ho. 12.11.
p 2Ki. 17.32. 2Ch. 11.15; 13.9. Eze. 44.7,8. ch. 13.33. Nu. 3.6,10.
32

And Jeroboam ordained a qfeast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto rthe feast that is in Judah, and he 4offered upon the altar. So did he in sBeth-el, 5sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.

q Le. 23.32. Nu. 29.12-38. ch. 8.2.
r Le. 23.33,34.
s Ge. 12.8; 13.3; 28.19; 31.13; 35.1. Jos. 7.2; 8.9. Ju. 1.22,23. Am. 4.4.
33

So he 6offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had tdevised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he uoffered upon the altar, 7and burnt incense.

t Nu. 15.39. Mat. 15.9. Ps. 106.39.
u v.32. ch. 13.1. 2Ch. 26.16. 1Sa. 13.9,12.