nkjv 1Kings:12:1-24 SEEK
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And Rehoboam went to Shechem ,
for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king .
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So it happened ,
when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (
he was still in Egypt ,
for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt ),
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that they sent and called him .
Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam ,
saying ,
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Your father made our yoke heavy ;
now therefore ,
lighten the burdensome service of your father ,
and his heavy yoke which he put on us ,
and we will serve you ."
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So he said to them , "
Depart for three days ,
then come back to me ."
And the people departed .
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Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived ,
and he said , "
How do you advise me to answer these people ?"
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And they spoke to him ,
saying , "
If you will be a servant to these people today ,
and serve them ,
and answer them ,
and speak good words to them ,
then they will be your servants forever ."
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But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him ,
and consulted the young men who had grown up with him ,
who stood before him .
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And he said to them , "
What advice do you give ?
How should we answer this people who have spoken to me ,
saying , "
Lighten the yoke which your father put on us '?"
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Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him ,
saying , "
Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you ,
saying , "
Your father made our yoke heavy ,
but you make it lighter on us '--
thus you shall say to them : "
My little finger shall be thicker than my father '
s waist !
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And now ,
whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you ,
I will add to your yoke ;
my father chastised you with whips ,
but I will chastise you with scourges !"'
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So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day ,
as the king had directed ,
saying , "
Come back to me the third day ."
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Then the king answered the people roughly ,
and rejected the advice which the elders had given him ;
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and he spoke to them according to the advice 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 scourges !"
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So the king did not listen to the people ;
for the turn of events was from the LORD ,
that He might fulfill His word ,
which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat .
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Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them ,
the people answered the king ,
saying : "
What share have we in David ?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse .
To your tents ,
O Israel !
Now ,
see to your own house ,
O David !"
So Israel departed to their tents .
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But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah .
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Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram ,
who was in charge of the revenue ;
but all Israel stoned him with stones ,
and he died .
Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem .
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So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day .
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Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back ,
they sent for him and called him to the congregation ,
and made him king over all Israel .
There was none who followed the house of David ,
but the tribe of Judah only .
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And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem ,
he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin ,
one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors ,
to fight against the house of Israel ,
that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon .
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But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God ,
saying ,
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Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon ,
king of Judah ,
to all the house of Judah and Benjamin ,
and to the rest of the people ,
saying ,
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Thus says the LORD : "
You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel .
Let every man return to his house ,
for this thing is from Me .""'
Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD ,
and turned back ,
according to the word of the LORD .