1 Kings 12

1Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it—he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon, and Jeroboam remained in Egypt— 3they sent and called for him. Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4“Your father made our yoke hard. Now lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he placed upon us, and we will serve you.” 5He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

6King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had stood before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7They spoke to him, saying, “If today you will become a servant to this people, serve them, answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants always.” 8But he abandoned the counsel that the elders had given him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9He said to them, “What do you counsel, that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father placed upon us’?” 10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; but you, lighten it for us.’ This is what you should say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11And now, though my father loaded a heavy yoke upon you, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had said: “Return to me on the third day.” 13The king answered the people harshly, abandoning the counsel that the elders had given him. 14He spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “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 scorpions.”

15So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, in order to establish his word that the LORD had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king:

“What share do we have in David?
There is no inheritance for us in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, Israel!
Now see to your own house, David!”

So Israel went to their tents. 17But Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah. 18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. King Rehoboam gathered strength to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. 20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over all Israel. No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.

21When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin: one hundred eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, 23“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24‘Thus says the LORD: You must not go up or fight against your brothers, the people of Israel. Let each of you return home, for this thing has come from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and turned back to go, according to the word of the LORD.

25Jeroboam built up Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. Then he went out from there and built up Penuel. 26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. He said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29He placed one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan. 30This thing became sin, and the people went before the one as far as Dan. 31He made a house of high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not from the sons of Levi. 32Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that was in Judah. He went up to the altar; thus he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. At Bethel he stationed the priests of the high places that he had made. 33He went up to the altar that he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. He made a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to burn incense.