1 Kings 12 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Rehoboam Forsakes the Elders’ Counsel

1 Then Rehoboam ^H7346 went ^H1980 to Shechem ^H7927, for all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 had come ^H935 to Shechem ^H7927 to make ^H4427 him king ^H4427.

2 And it happened, when Jeroboam ^H3379 the son ^H1121 of Nebat ^H5028 heard ^H8085 of it, [fn]he was living ^H3427 in Egypt ^H4714 (for he was yet ^H5750 in Egypt ^H4714, where ^H834 he had fled ^H1272 from the presence ^H6440 of King ^H4428 Solomon ^H8010). 3 Then they sent ^H7971 and called ^H7121 for him. And Jeroboam ^H3379 and all ^H3605 the assembly ^H6951 of Israel ^H3478 came ^H935 and spoke ^H1696 to Rehoboam ^H7346, saying ^H559, 4 “Your father ^H1 made ^H7185 our yoke ^H5923 harsh ^H7185; but you, now ^H6258, lighten ^H7043 the harsh ^H7186 service ^H5656 of your father ^H1 and his heavy ^H3515 yoke ^H5923 which ^H834 he put ^H5414 on us, and we will serve ^H5647 you.” 5 Then he said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980 [fn]for three ^H7969 days ^H3117, then return ^H7725 to me.” So the people ^H5971 went ^H1980 away.

6 Then King ^H4428 Rehoboam ^H7346 took ^H3289 counsel ^H3289 with the elders ^H2205 who ^H834 had ^H1961 stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 his father ^H1 Solomon ^H8010 while he was still alive ^H2416, saying ^H559, “How ^H349 do you counsel ^H3289 me to respond ^H7725 H1697 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971?” 7 And they spoke ^H1696 to him, saying ^H559, “If ^H518 you will be a servant ^H5650 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971 today ^H3117, and will serve ^H5647 them and [fn]grant ^H6030 them their petition ^H6030, and speak ^H1696 good ^H2896 words ^H1697 to them, then they will be your servants ^H5650 forever ^H3605 H3117.” 8 But he forsook ^H5800 the counsel ^H6098 of the elders ^H2205 which ^H834 they had counseled ^H3289 him, and took ^H3289 counsel ^H3289 with the young ^H3206 men ^H3206 who ^H834 grew ^H1431 up ^H1431 with him and stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 him. 9 So he said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 counsel ^H3289 do you give ^H3289 that we may respond ^H7725 H1697 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971 who ^H834 have spoken ^H1696 to me, saying ^H559, ‘Lighten ^H7043 the yoke ^H5923 which ^H834 your father ^H1 put ^H5414 on us’?” 10 Then the young ^H3206 men ^H3206 who ^H834 grew ^H1431 up ^H1431 with him spoke ^H1696 to him, saying ^H559, “Thus ^H3541 you shall say ^H559 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971 who ^H834 spoke ^H1696 to you, saying ^H559, ‘Your father ^H1 made ^H3513 our yoke ^H5923 heavy ^H3513, now you make ^H7043 it lighter ^H7043 for us!’ Thus you shall speak ^H1696 to them, ‘My little ^H6995 finger ^H6995 is thicker ^H5666 than ^H4480 my father’s ^H1 loins ^H4975! 11 So now ^H6258, my father ^H1 loaded ^H6006 you with a heavy ^H3515 yoke ^H5923, but I will add ^H3254 to your yoke ^H5923; my father ^H1 disciplined ^H3256 you with whips ^H7752, but I will discipline ^H3256 you with scorpions ^H6137.’”

12 So Jeroboam ^H3379 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 came ^H935 to Rehoboam ^H7346 on the third ^H7992 day ^H3117 as the king ^H4428 had spoken ^H1696, saying ^H559, “Return ^H7725 to me on the third ^H7992 day ^H3117.” 13 And the king ^H4428 answered ^H6030 the people ^H5971 harshly ^H7186, and he forsook ^H5800 the counsel ^H6098 of the elders ^H2205 which ^H834 they had [fn]given ^H3289 him, 14 and he spoke ^H1696 to them according to the counsel ^H6098 of the young ^H3206 men ^H3206, saying ^H559, “My father ^H1 made ^H3513 your yoke ^H5923 heavy ^H3513, but I will add ^H3254 to your yoke ^H5923; my father ^H1 disciplined ^H3256 you with whips ^H7752, but I will discipline ^H3256 you with scorpions ^H6137.” 15 So the king ^H4428 did not listen ^H8085 to the people ^H5971; for it was a turn ^H5438 of events from Yahweh ^H3068, that He might establish ^H6965 His word ^H1697, which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 through ^H3027 Ahijah ^H281 the Shilonite ^H7888 to Jeroboam ^H3379 the son ^H1121 of Nebat ^H5028.

Israel Rebels Against Judah

16 Then all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 saw that the king ^H4428 did not listen ^H8085 to them. So the people ^H5971 responded ^H7725 to the king ^H4428 with this word, saying ^H559,

“What ^H4100 portion ^H2506 do we have in David ^H1732?

We have no ^H3808 inheritance ^H5159 in the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448;

To your tents ^H168, O Israel ^H3478!

Now ^H6258 see ^H7200 to your own house ^H1004, David ^H1732!”

So Israel ^H3478 went ^H1980 to their tents ^H168.

17 But as for the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 who lived ^H3427 in the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063, Rehoboam ^H7346 reigned ^H4427 over ^H5921 them. 18 Then King ^H4428 Rehoboam ^H7346 sent ^H7971 Adoram ^H151, who ^H834 was over ^H5921 the forced ^H4522 labor ^H4522, and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 [fn]stoned ^H7275 him and he died ^H4191. And King ^H4428 Rehoboam ^H7346 made ^H553 haste ^H553 to mount ^H5927 his chariot ^H4818 to flee ^H5127 to Jerusalem ^H3389. 19 So Israel ^H3478 has been in ^H6586 rebellion ^H6586 against the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732 to this ^H2088 day ^H3117.

20 Now it happened ^H1961 when all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 heard ^H8085 that Jeroboam ^H3379 had returned ^H7725, that they sent ^H7971 and called ^H7121 him to the congregation ^H5712 and made ^H4427 him king ^H4427 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478. None ^H3808 but the tribe ^H7626 of Judah ^H3063 followed ^H310 the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732.

21 Then Rehoboam ^H7346 came ^H935 to Jerusalem ^H3389 and assembled ^H6950 all ^H3605 the house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063 and the tribe ^H7626 of Benjamin ^H1144, 180,000 ^{H3967 H8084 H505} chosen ^H977 men who could wage ^H6213 war ^H4421, to fight ^H3898 against ^H5973 the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478 to return ^H7725 the kingdom ^H4410 to Rehoboam ^H7346 the son ^H1121 of Solomon ^H8010. 22 But the word ^H1697 of God ^H430 came ^H1961 to Shemaiah ^H8098 the man ^H376 of God ^H430, saying ^H559, 23 “Speak ^H559 to Rehoboam ^H7346 the son ^H1121 of Solomon ^H8010, king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063, and to all ^H3605 the house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063 and Benjamin ^H1144 and to the rest ^H3499 of the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, 24 ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “You shall not go ^H5927 up ^H5927 and fight ^H3898 against ^H5973 your brothers ^H251, the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478; return ^H7725 every ^H376 man ^H376 to his house ^H1004, for this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 is ^H1961 from Me.”’” So they listened ^H8085 to the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068, and returned ^H7725 to go ^H1980 their way according to the word ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068.

Jeroboam Makes Golden Calves

25 Then Jeroboam ^H3379 built ^H1129 Shechem ^H7927 in the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, and lived ^H3427 [fn]there. And he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from there ^H8033 and built ^H1129 Penuel ^H6439.

26 And Jeroboam ^H3379 said ^H559 in his heart ^H3820, “Now ^H6258 the kingdom ^H4467 will return ^H7725 to the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732. 27 If ^H518 this ^H2088 people ^H5971 go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to offer ^H6213 sacrifices ^H2077 in the house ^H1004 of Yahweh ^H3068 at Jerusalem ^H3389, then the heart ^H3820 of this ^H2088 people ^H5971 will return ^H7725 to their lord ^H113, even to Rehoboam ^H7346 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063; and they will kill ^H2026 me and return ^H7725 to Rehoboam ^H7346 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063.” 28 So the king ^H4428 took ^H3289 counsel ^H3289, and made ^H6213 two ^H8147 golden ^H2091 calves ^H5695, and he said ^H559 to them, “It is too ^H4480 much ^H7227 for you to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Jerusalem ^H3389; behold ^H2009 your gods ^H430, O Israel ^H3478, that brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714.” 29 And he set ^H7760 one ^H259 in Bethel ^H1008, and one ^H259 he put ^H5414 in Dan ^H1835. 30 Now this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 became ^H1961 a sin ^H2403, for the people ^H5971 went ^H1980 to worship before ^H6440 the one ^H259 as far ^H5704 as Dan ^H1835. 31 And he made ^H6213 houses ^H1004 on high ^H1116 places ^H1116, and made ^H6213 priests ^H3548 from among [fn]all ^H7098 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were not of the sons ^H1121 of Levi ^H3878. 32 And Jeroboam ^H3379 made ^H6213 a feast ^H2282 in the eighth ^H8066 month ^H2320 on the fifteenth ^H2568 H6240 day ^H3117 of the month ^H2320, like the feast ^H2282 which ^H834 is in Judah ^H3063, and he [fn]went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the altar ^H4196; thus ^H3651 he did ^H6213 in Bethel ^H1008, to sacrifice ^H2076 to the calves ^H5695 which ^H834 he had made ^H6213. And he had ^H5975 the priests ^H3548 of the high ^H1116 places ^H1116, which ^H834 he had made ^H6213, stand ^H5975 in Bethel ^H1008. 33 Then he [fn]went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the altar ^H4196 which ^H834 he had made ^H6213 in Bethel ^H1008 on the fifteenth ^H2568 H6240 day ^H3117 in the eighth ^H8066 month ^H2320, even in the month ^H2320 which ^H834 he had [fn]devised ^H908 [fn]in his own heart ^H3820; and he made ^H6213 a feast ^H2282 for the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and [fn]went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the altar ^H4196 to burn ^H6999 [fn]incense ^H6999.