2 Chronicles 10 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

Israel refuses to follow Rehoboam

1 Rehoboam went to the city of Shechem. All the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt. 3 So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and all the people went to Rehoboam. They said to him, 4 ‘Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we’ll serve you.’ 5 Rehoboam answered, ‘Come back to me in three days.’ So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them, ‘What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?’ 7 They replied, ‘Be kind to them. Please them. Give them what they are asking for. Then they’ll always serve you.’ 8 But Rehoboam didn’t accept the advice the elders gave him. He asked for advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him. 9 He asked them, ‘What’s your advice? How should I answer these people? They said to me, “Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.” ’ 10 The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied, ‘The people have said to you, “Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.” Now tell them, “My little finger is stronger than my father’s legs. 11 My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.” ’ 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam. That’s because the king had said, ‘Come back to me in three days.’ 13 The king answered them in a mean way. He didn’t accept the advice of the elders. 14 Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said, ‘My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.’ 15 So the king didn’t listen to the people. That’s because God had planned it that way. What the LORD had said through Ahijah came true. Ahijah had spoken the LORD’s message to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Ahijah was from Shiloh. 16 All the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them. So they answered the king. They said, ‘We don’t have any share in David’s royal family. We don’t have any share in Jesse’s son. People of Israel, let’s go back to our homes. David’s royal family, take care of your own kingdom!’ So all the Israelites went home. 17 But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah. 18 Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard for King Rehoboam. The king sent him out among the Israelites. But they killed Adoniram by throwing stones at him. Rehoboam was able to get away in his chariot. He escaped to Jerusalem. 19 Israel has refused to follow the royal family of David to this day.

English Standard Version

The Revolt Against Rehoboam

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. (1Ki 12:1) 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. (1Ki 11:40) 3 And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” (1Ki 5:15) 5 He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men,^[1] who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” (1Ki 12:7) 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. (1Ki 11:29) 16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. (2Sa 20:1) 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,^[2] who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. (1Ki 4:6; 1Ki 5:14) 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.