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¹ And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.² And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon,) that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.³ And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,⁴ Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.⁵ And he said to them, Come again to me after three days. And the people departed.⁶ And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?⁷ And they spoke to him, saying, If you are kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your slaves forever.⁸ But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that had grown up with him, that stood before him.⁹ And he said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?¹⁰ And the young men that had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus you shall say to the people that spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us; thus you shall say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.¹¹ And now whereas my father laded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I [will chastise you] with scorpions.

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.¹³ And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,¹⁴ and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to [the yoke of] my father. He chastised you with whips, but I [will chastise you] with scorpions.¹⁵ So the king didn't listen to the people; for it was brought about of God, that Yahweh might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat¹⁶ and to all Israel: that the king would not listen to them. The people answered the king, saying, What portion do we have in David? neither do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to your own house, David. So all Israel departed to their tents.¹⁷ But as for the sons of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.¹⁸ Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to slave labor; and the sons of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.¹⁹ So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.