^K1/C1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. ^K2/C2And 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;) that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. ^K3/C3And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, ^K4/C4Thy 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. ^K5/C5And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. ^K6/C6And 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? ^K7/C7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be kind [and] a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and please them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. ^K8/C8But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: ^K9/C9And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? ^K10/C10And 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. ^K11/C11And 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. ^K12/C12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. ^K13/C13And the king answered the people roughly, and king Rehoboam forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; ^K14/C14And 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. ^K15/C15Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from YHVH God, that YHVH might perform his saying, which YHVH spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. ^K16/C16So 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: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So all Israel departed unto their tents. ^K17/C17But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ^K18/C18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. ^K19/C19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

^K20And 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. ^K21/C1And 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, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. ^K22/C2But the word of YHVH God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ^K23/C3Speak 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, ^K24/C4Thus saith YHVH, 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 YHVH, and returned to depart, according to the word of YHVH.

²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. ²⁶And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: ²⁷If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of YHVH at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. ²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto 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. ²⁹And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. ³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. ³¹And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. ³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. ³³So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. ⁶He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, ⁷And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, ⁸And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, ⁹And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, ¹⁰And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. ¹¹And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. ¹²And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. ¹³And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. ¹⁴For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto YHVH: ¹⁵And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. ¹⁶And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek YHVH God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto YHVH God of their fathers. ¹⁷So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. ¹⁸And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; ¹⁹Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. ²⁰And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.) ²²And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. ²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.