1 Kings 12 :: Webster's Bible (WEB)

King Rehoboam Acts Foolishly

(2Ch 10:1–19; 11:1–4 )

1Ki 12:1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

1Ki 12:2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

1Ki 12:3

1Ki 12:3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

1Ki 12:4

1Ki 12:4Thy 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.

1Ki 12:5

1Ki 12:5And he said to them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

1Ki 12:6

1Ki 12:6And 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?

1Ki 12:7

1Ki 12:7And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant to 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.

1Ki 12:8

1Ki 12:8But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that had grown up with him, and who stood before him:

1Ki 12:9

1Ki 12:9And he said to 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?

1Ki 12:10

1Ki 12:10And the young men that had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak to this people who spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter to us; thus shalt thou say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

1Ki 12:11

1Ki 12:11And now whereas my father burdened 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.

1Ki 12:12

1Ki 12:12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

1Ki 12:13

1Ki 12:13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

1Ki 12:14

1Ki 12:14And spoke 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.

1Ki 12:15

1Ki 12:15Wherefore the king hearkened not to the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel

1Ki 12:16

1Ki 12:16So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not to 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 thy own house, David. So Israel departed to their tents.

1Ki 12:17

1Ki 12:17But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

1Ki 12:18

1Ki 12:18Then 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 enter his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

1Ki 12:19

1Ki 12:19So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

1Ki 12:20

1Ki 12:20And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

1Ki 12:21

1Ki 12:21And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

1Ki 12:22

1Ki 12:22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

1Ki 12:23

1Ki 12:23Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

1Ki 12:24

1Ki 12:24Thus 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.

Jeroboam's Idolatry

1Ki 12:25

1Ki 12:25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt in it, and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

1Ki 12:26

1Ki 12:26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

1Ki 12:27

1Ki 12:27If this people go up to perform sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.

1Ki 12:28

1Ki 12:28Upon which the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

1Ki 12:29

1Ki 12:29And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other he placed in Dan.

1Ki 12:30

1Ki 12:30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan.

1Ki 12:31

1Ki 12:31And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

1Ki 12:32

1Ki 12:32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.

1Ki 12:33

1Ki 12:33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast to the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

The Webster Bible was translated by Noah Webster in 1833 in order to bring the language of the bible up to date. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.

Pericope

1 Kings Chapter 12 — Additional Translations: