1 Kings, 12

1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

1. Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gathered there to make him king.

2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard [of it], (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

2. When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard of this in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and where he still remained, he returned from Egypt.

3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

3. They called for him, and he came with all the assembly of Israel. The people of Israel went to Rehoboam with this demand,

4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

4. "Your father made our yoke heavy. So now lighten the heavy yoke and the hard labor your father imposed on us and we will serve you."

5. And he said unto them, Depart yet [for] three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

5. Rehoboam answered them, "Leave now but come back on the third day." And so the people went their way.

6. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

6. King Rehoboam sought advice from the elderly counselors who served his father Solomon while he was still alive, and he asked them, "How would you advise me to answer this people?"

7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

7. To this they replied, "If you attend to this people today making yourself their servant and speak to them with good words, they will serve you forever."

8. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, [and] which stood before him:

8. But Rehoboam disregarded the advice of the old counselors and asked the opinion of the greenhorns who had grown up with him and were in his service.

9. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

9. He asked them, "What do you say we should answer this people who tell me: 'Lighten the yoke which your father imposed on us'?"

10. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou [it] lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little [finger] shall be thicker than my father's loins.

10. The greenhorns who had grown up with him answered, "Since these people said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should now lighten it for us,' tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.

11. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

11. My father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier yet. My father chastised you with whips, but I will fix iron points to the lashes."

12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

12. On the third day, Jeroboam together with the people went back to Rehoboam just as the king said, for he had said to them, "Come back on the third day."

13. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

13. Ignoring the advice given him by the elderly counselors,

14. And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

14. the king answered the people harshly in the way the greenhorns had advised him. He said, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will make it even heavier. My father chastised you with whips, but I will fix iron points to the lashes."

15. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

15. The king did not listen to the people. It was, indeed, Yahweh who brought about this fateful event, fulfilling the word he had spoken to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, through Ahijah the Shilonite.

16. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither [have we] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

16. All Israel realized that the king refused to listen to them, and they answered the same way, "What have we to do with David? Is the son of Jesse from our tribes? Let the son of David deal with his own and you, people of Israel, go back to your homes!" And so the Israelites left for their homes.

17. But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

17. Only the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah let Rehoboam reign over them.

18. Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who [was] over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

18. Rehoboam sent Adoram, task-master of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death and King Rehoboam had to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.

19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

19. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to the present time.

20. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

20. As Jeroboam had returned and was with them at the assembly, having been called by them, they made him king of Israel. And so, with the exception of the tribe of Judah, no one followed the house of David.

21. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

21. When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he called together all the people of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, numbering a hundred and eighty thousand select warriors, to fight against the people of Israel in a bid to restore the kingship of Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

22. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

22. But the word of God was directed to Shemaiah, the man of God,

23. Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

23. "Give Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, this message from Yahweh:

24. Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

24. You shall not go up to fight against your kinsmen, the Israelites. Let everyone return to his home for I am the author of this." When they heard this word they went back home according to what Yahweh had ordered.

25. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

25. Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. Then, he set out to fortify Penuel.

26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

26. Jeroboam thought, "The kingdom could return to the house of David.

27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

27. Should this people go up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh's House in Jerusalem, their heart would turn again to their master, Rehoboam king of Judah. They would kill me and go back to him."

28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

28. And so the king sought advice and made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, "You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

29. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

29. He put one of these in Bethel, the other in Dan.

30. And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan.

30. And so Jeroboam made the people sin; the people went as far as Dan to accompany one of them.

31. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

31. Jeroboam also built temples on high places, appointing priests who were not from the Levites.

32. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that [is] in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

32. Jeroboam also appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in imitation of the feast in Judah, and he himself offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel and sacrificed to the calves that he had made; there he placed priests for the high places he had made.

33. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [even] in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

33. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had arbitrarily chosen, he ordained a feast for the Israelites and went up to the altar to burn incense.