1 Kings 12:4-16 ▼

4 “Your father made heavy our yoke, and you now, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us—and we will serve you.”

5 And he said to them, “Depart yet for three days, and come back to me.” And the people departed.

6 And King Rehoboam counseled with the elders who had been standing before Solomon his father while he still lived, and he said, “How do you⁺ counsel me to return an answer to this people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If today you will be a servant to this people, and serve them and answer them, and speak to them good words, then they will be servants to you all the days.”

8 And he rejected the counsel of the elders that they counseled him, and he counseled with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before his face.

9 And he said to them, “What do you⁺ counsel that we should return as an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten of the yoke that your father put on us’?”

10 And spoke to him the young men who had grown up with him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made heavy our yoke, and you make it lighter on us.’ Thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.

11 And now my father put on you⁺ a heavy yoke, and I will add to your⁺ yoke. My father scourged you⁺ with whips, and I will scourge you⁺ with scorpions.’”

12 And came Jeroboam and all the people to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13 And the king answered the people harshly, and he rejected the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him.

14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made heavy your⁺ yoke, and I will add to your⁺ yoke. My father scourged you⁺ with whips, and I will scourge you⁺ with scorpions.”

15 And the king did not listen to the people, for the turning was from YHWH, that He might fulfill His word that YHWH had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

16 And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, and the people returned the answer to the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? And there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!” And Israel departed to their tents.