| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. | 1Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king. |
| 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon's presence, Jeroboam stayed in Egypt. | 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. |
| 3They summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: " | 3They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, |
| 4Your father made our yoke difficult. You, therefore, lighten your father's harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." | 4"Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don't make us work as hard, we will serve you." |
| 5Rehoboam replied, "Go home for three days and then return to me." So the people left. | 5He said to them, "Go away for three days, then return to me." So the people went away. |
| 6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" | 6King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, "How do you advise me to answer these people?" |
| 7They replied, "Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever." | 7They said to him, "Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward." |
| 8But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him. | 8But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. |
| 9He asked them, "What message do you advise that we send back to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us?" | 9He asked them, "How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, 'Lessen the demands your father placed on us'?" |
| 10Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, "This is what you should say to these people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!' This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! | 10The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, "Say this to these people who have said to you, 'Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.' Say this to them: 'I am a lot harsher than my father! |
| 11Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.'" | 11My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.'" |
| 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: "Return to me on the third day." | 12Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, "Return to me on the third day." |
| 13Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him | 13The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men |
| 14and spoke to them according to the young men's advice: "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 barbed whips." | 14and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, "My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh." |
| 15The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the LORD to carry out His word, which the LORD had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. | 15The king refused to listen to the people, because the LORD was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 16When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So Israel went to their tents, | 16When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, "We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!" So Israel returned to their homes. |
| 17but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. | 17(Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) |
| 18Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. | 18King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. |
| 19Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today. | 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. |
| 20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone. | 20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty. |
| 21When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized 180,000 choice warriors from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. | 21When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from all of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. |
| 22But a revelation from God came to Shemaiah, the man of God: " | 22But God told Shemaiah the prophet, |
| 23Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, | 23"Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people, |
| 24This is what the LORD says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for I have done this.'" So they listened to what the LORD said and went back as He had told them. | 24The LORD says this: "Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen."'" They obeyed the LORD and went home as the LORD had ordered them to do. |
| 25Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel. | 25Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel. |
| 26Jeroboam said to himself, "The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David. | 26Jeroboam then thought to himself: "Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom. |
| 27If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the LORD's temple in Jerusalem, the heart of these people will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will murder me and go back to the king of Judah." | 27If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the LORD's temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master, King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah." |
| 28So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, "Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt." | 28After the king had consulted with his advisers, he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt." |
| 29He set up one in Bethel, and put the other in Dan. | 29He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan. |
| 30This led to sin; the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan. | 30This caused Israel to sin; the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves. |
| 31Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites. | 31He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites. |
| 32Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah. He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up. | 32Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival celebrated in Judah. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made. |
| 33He offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own. He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense. | 33On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices. |
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