| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. | 1Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, because all of Israel went there to install him as king. |
| 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. | 2Nebat's son Jeroboam heard about it in Egypt, where he had fled to get away from Solomon the king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt |
| 3And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, | 3after being summoned. When Jeroboam and all of Israel arrived, they spoke to Rehoboam, |
| 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. | 4"Your father made our burdens unbearable. Therefore you must lighten your father's requirements and his heavy burden that he placed on us, and we'll serve you." |
| 5And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. | 5"Come back again in three days," Rehoboam told them. So the people left |
| 6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? | 6while King Rehoboam conferred with his advisors who had worked with his father Solomon during his administration. He asked them, "What is your advice as to what response I should return to these people?" |
| 7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. | 7In reply, they told him, "If you will be kind to this people, please them, and speak appropriately to them with kind words, they'll serve you forever." |
| 8But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. | 8But Rehoboam ignored the counsel that his elder advisors had given him. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him and worked for him. |
| 9And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? | 9As a result, he asked them, "What's your advice, so we can give an answer to these people who have asked me, 'Please lighten the burden that your father put on us'?" |
| 10And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. | 10"This is what you should tell the people who asked you 'Your father made our burden heavy, but you must make it lighter for us!'" the young men who had grown up with Rehoboam replied. "Tell them 'My little finger will be thicker than my father's whole body! |
| 11For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. | 11Not only that, but since my father loaded you down heavily, I'm going to add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I'm going to do so with scorpions!'" |
| 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. | 12So Jeroboam and all the people went back to Rehoboam on the third day, just as they had been directed when the king said, "Come back again in three days." |
| 13And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, | 13But the king answered them strictly and ignored the counsel of his elders. |
| 14And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. | 14Instead, Rehoboam spoke to them along the lines of what the younger men suggested. He told them "My father burdened you heavily, but I will add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I will, too—with scorpions!" |
| 15So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. | 15The king would not listen to the people because the turn of events was from God, so that the LORD might fulfill his prediction that he spoke through Nebat's son Ahijah the Shilonite. |
| 16And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. | 16All of Israel—since the king wasn't going to listen to them—the people responded to the king, "What's the point in following David? We have no inheritance in the descendants of Jesse. Let's go home, Israel! David, take care of your own household!' So all of Israel left for home. |
| 17But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. | 17And so Rehoboam ruled over the Israelis who lived in the cities of Judah. |
| 18Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. | 18King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of conscripted labor, but the Israelis stoned him to death, and King Rehoboam had to jump in his chariot and flee back in a hurry to Jerusalem. |
| 19And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. | 19That's how Israel came to be in rebellion against David's dynasty to this day. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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