And it came to pass, whenJeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fledfrom the presence of kingSolomon, and Jeroboamdwelt in Egypt;)
Thy fathermade our yokegrievous: now thereforemakethou the grievousservice of thy father, and his heavyyokewhich he put upon us, lighter, and we willservethee.
And theyspakeunto him, saying, If thouwilt be a servantuntothispeoplethis day, and wiltservethem, and answerthem, and speakgoodwords to them, thentheywill be thy servants for ever.
But he forsook the counsel of the old men, whichthey had given him, and consultedwith the young men thatweregrown up with him, and whichstoodbefore him:
And he saiduntothem, Whatcounselgive ye that we may answerthispeople, who havespoken to me, saying, Make the yokewhich thy father did put upon us lighter?
And the young men thatweregrown up with him spakeunto him, saying, Thusshaltthouspeakuntothispeoplethatspakeuntothee, saying, Thy fathermade our yokeheavy, but makethou it lighterunto us; thusshaltthou say untothem, My littlefingershall be thickerthan my father’sloins.
And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavyyoke, I will add to youryoke: my fatherhathchastised you withwhips, but I willchastise you withscorpions.
And spake to themafter the counsel of the young men, saying, My fathermadeyouryokeheavy, and I will add to youryoke: my fatheralsochastised you withwhips, but I willchastise you withscorpions.
Wherefore the kinghearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he mightperform his saying, which the LORDspake by Ahijah the ShiloniteuntoJeroboam the son of Nebat.
So when all Israel saw that the kinghearkened not untothem, the peopleanswered the king, saying, Whatportionhave we in David? neitherhave we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to yourtents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israeldeparteduntotheirtents.
ThenkingRehoboamsentAdoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israelstoned him withstones, that he died. ThereforekingRehoboammadespeed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, when all IsraelheardthatJeroboam was comeagain, thattheysent and called him unto the congregation, and made him kingover all Israel: there was nonethatfollowed the house of David, but the tribe of Judahonly.
And whenRehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscorethousandchosen men, whichwerewarriors, to fightagainst the house of Israel, to bring the kingdomagain to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
Thussaith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fightagainstyourbrethren the children of Israel: returnevery man to his house; for thisthing is from me. Theyhearkenedtherefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
If thispeople go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, thenshall the heart of thispeopleturnagainuntotheirlord, evenuntoRehoboamking of Judah, and theyshallkill me, and go again to Rehoboamking of Judah.
Whereupon the kingtookcounsel, and made two calves of gold, and saiduntothem, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, whichbroughtthee up out of the land of Egypt.
And Jeroboamordained a feast in the eighthmonth, on the fifteenth day of the month, likeunto the feastthat is in Judah, and he offeredupon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificingunto the calvesthat he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the highplaceswhich he had made.
So he offeredupon the altarwhich he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighthmonth, even in the monthwhich he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feastunto the children of Israel: and he offeredupon the altar, and burntincense.