1Kings:12:1-24
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And Rehoboam went to Shechem :
for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king .
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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 ;)
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That they sent and called him .
And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came ,
and spake unto Rehoboam ,
saying ,
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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 .
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And he said unto them ,
Depart yet for three days ,
then come again to me .
And the people departed .
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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 ?
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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 .
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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 :
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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 ?
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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And the king answered the people roughly ,
and forsook the old men '
s counsel that they gave him ;
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah ,
Rehoboam reigned over them .
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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 .
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So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day .
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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 .
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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 .
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But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God ,
saying ,
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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 ,
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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 .