Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all of Israel had gathered to make him king. When Jeroboam, who was still in Egypt after fleeing King Solomon's presence, heard about Rehoboam's ascension to the throne, he came to him, along with all of Israel.

"We have a request," they said. "Your father made our labor burdensome; now lighten the heavy yoke your father imposed on us." Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel repeated this plea, saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy; now lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you."

King Rehoboam told them to depart for three days and then return. The people left. King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still alive, asking for their advice on how to respond to the people.

If you be kind to this people today, serving them and answering their concerns with gentle words, they will remain your servants forever," one of the older men advised. But Rehoboam rejected their counsel and instead consulted with the young men who stood before him.

"What shall I say to these people?" he asked. The young men grew up with him and said, "Thus you shall speak: 'Your father made our yoke heavy; but you, make it lighter for us.' Tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.'"

And now, whereas my father laid you with a heavy burden, I will add to your burden. My father disciplined you with rods, but I will discipline you with scorpions," they advised.

So Jeroboam and all the people returned on the third day, just as the king had instructed. But King Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, rejecting the counsel of the older men. He said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will add to it: my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

The king refused to listen to the people because he was following the advice of the young men. When all Israel saw that King Rehoboam refused to listen, they replied, "What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance with Jesse's son. To your own tents, O Israel! Now take care of your own house, David." And with that, Israel departed to their tents.

But the people living in Judah's cities remained loyal to King Rehoboam. He sent Adoram, who was in charge of collecting taxes, but all Israel stoned him to death with stones. The king quickly fled to Jerusalem in his chariot.

Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. When Jeroboam returned to the gathering, they made him king over all Israel, except for the tribe of Judah, which remained loyal to the house of David.

King Rehoboam gathered 180,000 chosen warriors from Judah and Benjamin to fight against Israel and reclaim the kingdom as the son of Solomon. But God sent a message through Shemaiah, saying, "Don't go up or fight against your brothers, the Israelites; each of you should return home, because I have instructed you to do so."

They listened to the word of the Lord and returned home. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim and lived there, but later he moved on and built Penuel.

Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now return to the house of David if these people go up to Jerusalem to worship." So he made two calves of gold and placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

And he set up these idols, saying, "Be careful not to go up to Jerusalem to worship." This thing became a sin in the eyes of God because people went to worship before one calf and then another. Jeroboam even made a house of high places and appointed priests from among the common people who were not descendants of Levi.

Jeroboam established a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, similar to the one celebrated in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. He also did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made and installing priests from the high places he created there.

And so Jeroboam continued to offer sacrifices on the altar he built in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had designated as a festival for the Israelites. He also burned incense before these idols.