1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.2And it was when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard—and he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from before King Solomon—that Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt.3They sent and called to him, and Jeroboam came and all the assembly of Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:4Your father made it hard on us, and now you—lighten the hard servitude of your father and his heavy burden that he put on us, and we will serve you.5He said to them, "Go for three days and return to me," and the people went.6And King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had been standing before Solomon his father while he was living, saying, "What are you advising that we return a word to this people?"7They spoke to him, saying, "If today you serve this people and serve them and afflict them and speak to them good words, then they will be your servants all the days."8He abandoned the counsel of the elders which they had advised him, and he consulted the children who had grown up with him, who stood before him.9And he said to them, "What are you counseling, and we will return a word to this people which they spoke to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us.'"10The children who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "This is what you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made it heavy on us, and you lighten it from upon us.' This is what you shall speak to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.'"11Now my father loaded a heavy load on you, and I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, and I will discipline you with scorpions.12Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had said, "Return to me on the third day."13The king answered the people harshly and abandoned the counsel of the elders that they had counseled him.14He spoke to them according to the advice of the children, saying, "My father made your load heavy, and I will add to your load. My father disciplined you with whips, and I will discipline you with scorpions."15And the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from the LORD in order to establish his word, which the LORD spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.16All Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David, and no inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David!" Then Israel went to his tents.17The sons of Israel who were dwelling in the cities of Judah—Rehoboam reigned over them.18King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. King Rehoboam made every effort to get up into the chariot to flee to Jerusalem.19Israel has rebelled against the house of David until this day.20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had become king, they sent and called him to the congregation, and they made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.21Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were to make war, to fight against the house of Israel in order to return the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.22And the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying.23He said to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people, saying:24This is what the LORD says: You shall not go up, and you shall not fight with your brothers, the sons of Israel; return, every man to his house, for this matter has come from me. And they heard the word of the LORD and they returned to go as the word of the LORD.