3 Kingdoms 12

1Now King Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel were coming to Shechem to proclaim him as king.

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2The people of Israel spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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3'Your father made our yoke a heavy burden; but if you now lighten the harsh servitude and the burdensome yoke under which your father placed us, then we will serve you.'

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4So he said to them, 'Go away for three days; then come back to me.' Thus they departed.

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5Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, 'How do you advise me to answer these people?'

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6They spoke to him, saying, 'If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants all the days.'

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7But he rejected the advice of the elders, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and stood in his presence.

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8He said to them, 'What advice do you give? How should I answer these people who spoke to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?'

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9Then these same young men said to him, 'Here is how you should speak to this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but may you make it lighter on us,' thus respond to them, saying, 'Being from the loins of my father, my meanness will be more burdensome.

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10Now whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father chastised you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions.' '

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11So all the people came to King Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, 'Come back to me on the third day.'

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12Then the king answered the people harshly, for Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders offered to him.

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13Instead, Rehoboam spoke to the people according to the advice of the young men, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'

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14So the king did not hear the appeal of the people, because the change of mind was from the Lord, that He might establish His word which He spoke by the authority of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

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15Now all Israel saw the king did not heed their words. So the people answered the king, saying, 'What share of the inheritance have we in David? Nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, run to your dwelling-places. Now, O David, feed your own house.' Thus Israel departed to their dwelling.

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16In response, King Rehoboam sent for Adoniram, who was in charge of the tribute; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Then King Rehoboam knew it was time to mount up and flee back to Jerusalem.

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17Even to this day, Israel refuses any request concerning the house of David.

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18Now when all Israel heard Jeroboam was back from Egypt, they sent for him and called him to the assembly. They made him king over Israel, and not one tribe followed the house of David except the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

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19When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. He had one hundred twenty thousand chosen men as warriors to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

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20But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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21'Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

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22'Thus says the Lord, 'You shall not go up, nor shall you fight against your brethren the sons of Israel. Instead return, each of you, to his house, because this word is from Me.' Hear the word of the Lord.' So according to the word of the Lord, they ended the march.

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23King Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his place in Jerusalem. His son was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Naamah, daughter of Hanun, son of Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon. He did evil before the Lord and did not walk in the way of David, his father.

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24There was a man from Mount Ephraim, a servant of Solomon, whose name was Jeroboam. The name of his mother was Zeruah, a prostitute. Solomon gave him the staff of authority over the male laborers of the house of Joseph, and he built Zereda for Solomon on Mount Ephraim. There were three hundred horse-pulled chariots with him. He also built the citadel with the laborers of the house of Ephraim, and enclosed the city of David. He was lifted up in opposition to the kingdom.

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25Solomon then sought to kill him, and he was afraid and escaped to Shishak, king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died.

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26When Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon died, he spoke to Shishak, king of Egypt, saying, 'Send me away, and I shall go to my land.' Shishak said to him, 'Ask any request, and I shall give it to you.'

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27So Shishak gave Anna to Jeroboam as a wife. She was the eldest sister of Tahpenes, the wife of Shishak. She was highly admired in the midst of the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jeroboam a son, Abijah.

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28Then Jeroboam said to Shishak, 'Please send me away, and I shall leave.' Thus Jeroboam went out from Egypt and into the land of Zereda, which is in Mount Ephraim. It is here the whole tribe of Ephraim gathers together, and where Jeroboam built a fortress.

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29Jeroboam's son became seriously ill, so Jeroboam went to inquire concerning his son, and he said to Anna, his wife, 'Arise, and go ask God concerning the child, whether he shall recover from this illness.'

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30Now there was in Shiloh a man whose name was Ahijah. He was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord was with him. So Jeroboam said to his wife, 'Arise, and take bread in your hand for this man of God and cakes for his children, and grapes and a jar of honey.'

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31The woman arose and took in her hand bread, two cakes, grapes, and a jar of honey for Ahijah. The man was elderly, and his eyesight was fading.

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32She arose from Zereda and traveled to the city where Ahijah the Shilonite dwelt. Ahijah said to his young son, 'Go out at once to meet Anna, the wife of Jeroboam, and say to her, 'Come in and take a seat, for thus says the Lord, 'I Myself am sending harsh things on you.' ' '

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33So Anna came in to the man of God, and Ahijah said to her, 'Why did you bring me bread and grapes and cakes and a jar of honey? Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, you shall depart from Me, and when you enter the gate into the city of Zereda and your maidens come out to greet you, even they shall say to you, 'The child is dead.' '

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34For Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I shall put to death those of Jeroboam, and those of Jeroboam who die in the city of Jerusalem will be eaten by dogs, while the birds of the sky will consume those who die in the field. They will mourn the young child, saying, 'Woe to me, O Lord! For you perceived in him a good word concerning the Lord.' ' '

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35Then the woman departed as one who heard and understood. It came to be as she entered Zereda, the child died, and the mourners went out to meet her.

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36Then Jeroboam went to Shechem at Mount Ephraim, and there they gathered the tribes of Israel. Even Rehoboam the son of Solomon went up there, and the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the son of Elami, saying, 'Take for yourself a new garment, one which has not entered into water, and tear it into twelve pieces; then give it to Jeroboam and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Take for yourself ten pieces to clothe yourself,' ' ' and Jeroboam took them. Shemaiah then said, 'Thus says the Lord to the ten tribes of Israel.'

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37Then the people said to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, 'Your father made his yoke a heavy burden upon us, and he made the foods of his table oppressive; and now, if you yourself shall go more lightly on us, then we will serve you.' Rehoboam said to the people, 'In three days I shall answer the matter for you.'

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38Rehoboam then said, 'Bring the elders to me, and I will counsel with them as to what answer I should give the people on the third day.' So Rehoboam told the elders what the people sent him to say, and the elders of the people advised him to do what the people said.

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39But Rehoboam rejected their counsel, for it was not pleasing in his sight. So he sent and brought those he grew up with. He told them what the people said to him. In response, his childhood companions advised him to speak to the people as follows: 'Since I am from the loins of my father, my meanness will be more burdensome. Whereas my father disciplined you with the beating of whips, I will discipline you with scorpions.'

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40Rehoboam was pleased with this advice, and he answered the people just as the young men, his childhood companions, advised him.

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41But all the people spoke as one man, every man to his neighbor, and they all cried out, saying, 'What share of the inheritance have we in David? Nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. O Israel, run to your dwelling-places, for this man is not going to be a ruler or a leader over us.'

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42So all the people scattered from Shechem, and each man returned to his dwelling; but Rehoboam did not relent.

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43Rehoboam departed by way of his chariots, and went up and entered Jerusalem. Behind him came the entire tribe of Judah and the entire tribe of Benjamin. And it came to pass that in the beginning of the year, Rehoboam gathered all the men of Judah and Benjamin, and he went out to make war with Jeroboam in Shechem.

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44But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 'Speak to Rehoboam the king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Do not go up and do not make war with your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let each man return to his house, for this word has come from Me.' ' '

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45So they heard the word of the Lord, and according to the word of the Lord, they held back from going.

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46Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt there. From here, he went out and built Penuel.

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47Then Jeroboam said in his heart, 'Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

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48If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord and master, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me.'

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49Therefore the king deliberated, and went and made two calves of gold. He then said to the people, 'You have traveled enough to Jerusalem. Behold, O Israel, your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'

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50He placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

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51This word became a sin, and the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

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52[DELETE — chapter-seam duplicate of 1KI.13:1; print's chapter 12 ends at 1KI.12:51 ('...he also went up to the altar of the sacrifice.')]

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53[DELETE — chapter-seam duplicate of 1KI.13:2]

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54[DELETE — chapter-seam duplicate of 1KI.13:3; this sentence belongs only to chapter 13 per the print's explicit '13' break]

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