1Kings:12

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* And Rehoboam went to Shechem , for all Israel came to Shechem to make him king . * And it came to pass , when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon , and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt , * and they sent and called him ), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came , and spoke to Rehoboam , saying , * Thy father made our yoke grievous . Now therefore make thou lighter the grievous service of thy father , and his heavy yoke which he put upon us , and we will serve thee . * And he said to them , Depart yet for three days , then come again to me . And the people departed . * And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived , saying , What counsel give ye to me to return an answer to this people ? * And they spoke to him , saying , If thou will be a servant to this people this day , and will serve them , and answer them , and speak good words to them , then they will be thy servants forever . * But he forsook the counsel of the old men , which they had given him , and took counsel with the young men that grew up with him , who stood before him . * And he said to them , What counsel give ye , that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me , saying , Make the yoke that thy father put upon us lighter ? * And the young men that grew up with him spoke to him , saying , Thus shall thou say to this people that spoke to thee , saying , Thy father made our yoke heavy , but make thou it lighter to us ; thus shall thou speak to them , My little f * And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke , I will add to your yoke . My father chastised you with whips , but I will chastise you with scorpions . * So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day , as the king bade , saying , Come to me again the third day . * And the king answered the people roughly , and forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him , * and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men , saying , My father made your yoke heavy , but I will add to your yoke . My father chastised you with whips , but I will chastise you with scorpions . * So the king did not hearken to the people , for it was a thing brought about by LORD , that he might establish his word , which LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat . * And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to 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 hous * But as for the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah , Rehoboam reigned over them . * Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the men subject to task work . And all Israel stoned him to death with stones . And king Rehoboam made speed to get up to his chariot , to flee to Jerusalem . * So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day . * And it came to pass , when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned , that they sent and called him to the congregation , and made him king over all Israel . There was none that followed the house of David , but only the tribe of Jud * And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem , he assembled all the house of Judah , and the tribe of Benjamin , a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men , who were warriors , to fight against the house of Israel , to bring the kingdom again to R * But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God , saying , * Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon , king of Judah , and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin , and to the rest of the people , saying , * Thus says LORD , Ye shall not go up , nor fight against your brothers the sons of Israel . Return every man to his house , for this thing is of me . So they hearkened to the word of LORD , and returned and went their way according to the * Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim , and dwelt therein . And he went out from there , and built Penuel . * And Jeroboam said in his heart , Now the kingdom will return to the house of David . * If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of LORD at Jerusalem , then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord , even to Rehoboam king of Judah . And they will kill me , and return to Rehoboam king of Judah . * Whereupon the king took counsel , and made two calves of gold . And he said to 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 . * And he set the one in Bethel , and the other he put in Daniel . * And this thing became a sin , for the people went [to worship ] before the one , even to Daniel . * And he made houses of high places , and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi . * And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month , on the fifteenth day of the month , like the feast that is in Judah , and he went up to the altar . So he did in Bethel , sacrificing to the calves that he had made . And he placed in B * And he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month , even in the month which he had devised of his own heart . And he ordained a feast for the sons of Israel , and went up to the altar to

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