1 Kings 12 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Kings 12 ▼
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1 Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
2 Jeroboam (Nebat's son) was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard [about Rehoboam], he returned from Egypt. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
3 [Israel] sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and the entire assembly of Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said, And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
4 |Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us, and we will serve you.| “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 He said to them, |Leave and come back the day after tomorrow.| So the people left. He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away. Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.
6 King Rehoboam sought advice from the older leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked, |What do you advise? How should I respond to these people?| Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.
7 They told him, |If you will serve these people today, humble yourself, and speak gently, then they will always be your servants.| And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
8 But he ignored the advice the older leaders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
9 He asked them, |What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them?| And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him answered, |This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body. And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
11 If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.'| And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.”
13 The king answered the people harshly. He ignored the advice the older leaders gave him. And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,
14 He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said, |If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.| he 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.” he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”
15 The king refused to listen to the people because the LORD was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam (Nebat's son) through Ahijah from Shiloh. So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, |What share do we have in David's kingdom? We won't receive an inheritance from Jesse's son. To your own tents, Israel! Now look after your own house, David!| So Israel went home to their own tents. And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home.
17 But Rehoboam ruled the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram to Israel. He was in charge of forced labor, but they stoned him to death. So King Rehoboam got on his chariot as fast as he could and fled to Jerusalem. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
19 Israel has rebelled against David's dynasty to this day. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent men to invite him to the assembly. They made him king of all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's dynasty. And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only. When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.
21 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered all the people of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 of the best soldiers, to fight against the people of Israel and return the kingdom to Rehoboam, son of Solomon. When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.
22 But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, the man of God. He said, But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
23 |Speak to Judah's King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people. “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
24 This is what the LORD says: Don't wage war against your relatives from Israel. Everyone, go home. What has happened is my doing.| So they obeyed the word of the LORD. They returned [home], as the LORD told them. ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered.
25 Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in the hills of Ephraim and lived there. Then he left that place and built Penuel. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.
26 He said to himself, |The kingdom will probably return to David's dynasty now. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
27 King Rehoboam of Judah, the former master of these people, will regain popularity if they go to sacrifice in the LORD's temple in Jerusalem. Then they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.| If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”
28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, |You've been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.| So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
29 He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan. And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
30 Worshiping them became [Israel's] sin. The people went as far as Dan to worship the one calf. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.
31 Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.
32 Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the festival in Judah. He went to the altar in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He appointed priests from the illegal worship sites [to serve] in Bethel. And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
33 He went to his altar in Bethel to burn an offering on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [the festival] he had invented for the Israelites. He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
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