1Rehabeam og hans rådgivere tog straks efter Salomons død til Sikem, hvor Nordrigets ledere samledes for at udråbe ham til konge.2Jeroboam, Nebats søn, vendte tilbage fra Egypten (hvortil han var flygtet for kong Salomon), da han hørte, at Salomon var død.3Nordrigets ledere sendte nu bud efter ham, og sammen trådte de frem for Rehabeam i Sikem.4„Din far lagde en masse skatter på os og krævede hårdt arbejde,” sagde de. „Hvis du er villig til at nedsætte kravene, vil vi gerne have dig som konge.”5„Det vil jeg tænke over,” svarede Rehabeam. „Kom tilbage om to dage,* så vil jeg give jer svar.”6Rehabeam drøftede nu sagen med sin fars gamle rådgivere. „Hvad foreslår I, jeg skal gøre?” spurgte han.7„Hvis du viser lederne, at du tager hensyn til deres ønsker, og siger, at du vil behandle folket godt, så vil de være loyale over for dig,” var deres svar.8Men Rehabeam brød sig ikke om deres råd. Han spurgte så de unge mænd, han var vokset op sammen med, og som han havde ansat i sin tjeneste:9„Hvad skal vi svare de her mennesker, som gerne vil være fri for hårdt arbejde og skatter?”10„Vi foreslår, at du siger: ‚Sammenlignet med mig var min far ingenting!11Hvis I synes, min far lagde tunge byrder på jer, vil jeg gøre dem endnu tungere. Hvis I synes, min far brugte en pisk af reb, så vil jeg bruge en pisk med metalstykker i!’ ”12Da Jeroboam og Nordrigets ledere som aftalt kom tilbage til den unge konge to dage senere,13gav han dem det brutale svar, som de unge mænd havde rådet ham til, i stedet for det gode svar fra sin fars rådgivere.15Kongen var således ikke villig til at lytte til deres ønsker, og derved kom han til at opfylde det profetiske ord fra Herren, som Ahija fra Shilo havde givet Jeroboam.16Da Nordrigets folk blev klar over, at kongen ikke ville lytte til dem, tog de afstand fra ham og råbte til hinanden: „Ud med David og hans slægt! Rehabeam kan få lov til at herske over sin egen stamme. Vi kan klare os selv.”17Således gik det til, at Rehabeam måtte nøjes med at være konge over Judas stamme.18Men han gav ikke op med det samme, så han sendte sin slavepisker Adoniram efter Nordrigets ledere for at tvinge dem, men de smed sten efter ham og slog ham ihjel. Rehabeam sprang da op i sin vogn og skyndte sig hjem til Jerusalem for ikke selv at blive slået ihjel.19Således brød de ti nordlige stammer forbindelsen med Judas stamme, og de to riger blev aldrig siden forsonet.
Jeroboam bliver konge i Nordriget
20Da det blev kendt blandt alle Nordrigets indbyggere, at Jeroboam var vendt hjem, inviterede de ham til et stort folkemøde, hvor de gjorde ham til deres konge. Det var kun Judas stamme, der var loyal over for Davids slægt.21Da kong Rehabeam kom tilbage til Jerusalem, mønstrede han sin hær, der bestod af elitetropper fra Judas og Benjamins stammer—180.000 i alt. Med den hær ville han tvinge Nordriget til at anerkende ham som konge.22Men Gud gav profeten Shemaja følgende budskab:23„Sig til Judas konge og til hele Judas og Benjamins folk, at de ikke må bekrige deres broderfolk. Sig til soldaterne, at de skal gå hjem, for det, der er sket, er sket efter min vilje.” Da soldaterne hørte det, adlød de Herrens ord og gik hver til sit.25Jeroboam udbyggede nu byen Sikem i Efraims bjergland og gjorde den til sin hovedstad. Han udbyggede også Penuel som fæstningsby.
Jeroboam indfører afgudsdyrkelse og en ny fest
26Det varede ikke længe, før Jeroboam begyndte at frygte for, om han nu også kunne fastholde kongemagten. „Nordrigets folk rejser jo stadig op til Herrens hus i Jerusalem for at bringe deres ofre der,” sagde han til sig selv. „Når de ser, hvor meget guld der er i Jerusalem, kan de let blive fristet til at gå over til kong Rehabeam af Juda. Så finder de måske på at slå mig ihjel og overgive hele Nordriget til Davids slægt.”28På sine rådgiveres opfordring fik Jeroboam derfor lavet to guldkalve. „Det er for besværligt at tage helt til Jerusalem og ofre,” sagde han til folket. „Her er jeres guder, som førte jer ud af Egyptens land!”29Den ene guldkalv blev anbragt i den sydlige by, Betel, og den anden blev senere i en stor procession ført op til den nordligste by, Dan. Det var naturligvis en alvorlig synd, for folket begyndte at tilbede disse afguder.31Jeroboam opførte også afgudsaltre på offerhøjene rundt omkring, og han udnævnte præster fra andre stammer end Levis stamme i modstrid med Herrens befaling.32Han bekendtgjorde også, at den årlige løvhyttefest for fremtiden skulle fejres i Betel den 15. dag i den ottende måned*—en dato han selv fandt på, og han indkaldte alle sine præster til at gøre tjeneste i Betel under den ugelange højtid. Da festen begyndte, steg han selv op på alteret i Betel for at tænde ilden og ofre til den guldkalv, han havde ladet opstille der.
King James Version
1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.2And 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;)3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,4Thy 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.5And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.6And 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?7And 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.8But 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:9And 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?10And 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' loins.11And 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.12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men' counsel that they gave him;14And 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.15Wherefore 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.16So 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.17But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.18Then 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.19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.20And 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.21And 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.22But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,23Speak 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,24Thus 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.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 the LORD 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.
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