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Rehoboam's Reign of Foolishness

^1 (C1)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.² When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it (^(C1)he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.³ So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,⁴ "Your father made our ^(C1)yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you."⁵ He said to them, "Return to me again in three days." So the people departed.

⁶ And then King Rehoboam ^(C1)consulted with the elders who had ^(F1)served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"⁷ They spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to this people and please them and ^(C1)speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always."⁸ But he ^(C1)ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him ^(F1)and served him.⁹ He said to them, "What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!' You should speak this way to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!¹¹ 'Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with ^(F1)scorpions!'"

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ^(F1)directed, saying, "Return to me on the third day."¹³ The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders.¹⁴ He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "^(F1)My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with ^(F2)scorpions."¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, ^(C1)because it was a turn of events from God ^(C2)so that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people replied to the king, saying,

"^(C1)What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!"
^(C2)So all Israel went away to their tents.