2 Chronicles 10

Revised Geneva Translation

10 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. For all Israel came to Shechem to make him king.

² And when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, heard it (who was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king) he returned out of Egypt.

³ And they sent and called him. So, Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke with Rehoboam, saying,

⁴ “Your father made our yoke grievous. Now, therefore, make the grievous servitude of your father, and his severe yoke that he put upon us, lighter. And we will serve you.”

⁵ And he said to them, “Come back to me in three days.” And the people departed.

⁶ And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon, his father, while he still lived, saying, “What counsel do you give, so that I may answer these people?”

⁷ And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people, and please them, and speak loving words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

⁸ But he rejected the counsel of the ancient men that they had given him and took counsel of the young men who were brought up with him and waited on him.

⁹ And he said to them, “What counsel do you give, so that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke which your father put upon us, lighter’?”

¹⁰ And the young men who had been brought up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus shall you answer the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter for us.’ Thus shall you say to them, ‘My least part shall be bigger than my father’s loins.

¹¹ ‘Now, whereas my father burdened you with a grievous yoke, I will increase your yoke more. My father chastised you with rods, but I will do so with scourges.’”

¹² Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

¹³ And the king answered them sharply. And King Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the ancient men,

¹⁴ and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke grievous, but I will increase it! My father chastised you with rods, but I will do so with scourges!”

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people. For it was the Ordinance of God that the LORD might perform His saying which He had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

¹⁶ So, when all Israel saw that the king would not hear them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? For we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. O Israel, every man to your tents now! See to your own House, David!” So, all Israel departed to their tents.

¹⁷ However, Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

¹⁸ Then, King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the tribute. And the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. Then, King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹ And Israel has rebelled against the House of David to this day.