1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 Kings 12

1 The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him. 6 Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, by the advice of young men, answereth them roughly. 16 Ten tribes revolting, kill Adoram, and make Rehoboam to flee. 21 Rehoboam, raising an army, is forbidden by Shemaiah. 25 Jeroboam strengtheneth himself by cities, 26 and by the idolatry of the two calves.

 12:1 Then Rehoboam 7346 went 1980 to Shechem 7927, for all 3605 Israel 3478 had come 935 to Shechem 7927 to make 4427a him king 4427a.

 12:2 Now when Jeroboam 3379 the son 1121 of Nebat 5028 heard 8085 [of it], he was living 3427 in Egypt 4714 (for he was yet 5750 in Egypt 4714, where 834 he had fled 1272 from the presence 6440 of King 4428 Solomon 8010).

 12:3 Then they sent 7971 and called 7121 him, and Jeroboam 3379 and all 3605 the assembly 6951 of Israel 3478 came 935 and spoke 1696 to Rehoboam 7346, saying 559,

 12:4 “Your father 1 made 7185 our yoke 5923 hard 7185; now 6258 therefore lighten 7043 the hard 7186 service 5656 of your father 1 and his heavy 3515 yoke 5923 which 834 he put 5414 on us, and we will serve 5647 you.”

 12:5 Then he said 559 to them, “Depart 1980 for three 7969 days 3117, then return 7725 to me.” So the people 5971a departed 1980.

 12:6 ¶ King 4428 Rehoboam 7346 consulted 3289 with the elders 2205 who 834 had 1961 served 5975 6440 his father 1 Solomon 8010 while he was still alive 2416a, saying 559, “How 349 do you counsel 3289 [me] to answer 7725 1697 this 2088 people 5971a?”

 12:7 Then they spoke 1696 to him, saying 559, “If 518 you will be a servant 5650 to this 2088 people 5971a today 3117, and will serve 5647 them and grant 6030a them their petition 6030a, and speak 1696 good 2896a words 1697 to them, then they will be your servants 5650 forever 3605 3117.”

 12:8 But he forsook 5800a the counsel 6098 of the elders 2205 which 834 they had given 3289 him, and consulted 3289 with the young 3206 men 3206 who 834 grew 1431 up with him and served 5975 6440 him.

 12:9 So he said 559 to them, “What 4100 counsel 3289 do you give 3289 that we may answer 7725 1697 this 2088 people 5971a who 834 have spoken 1696 to me, saying 559, ‘Lighten 7043 the yoke 5923 which 834 your father 1 put 5414 on us’?”

 12:10 The young 3206 men 3206 who 834 grew 1431 up with him spoke 1696 to him, saying 559, “Thus 3541 you shall say 559 to this 2088 people 5971a who 834 spoke 1696 to you, saying 559, ‘Your father 1 made 3513 our yoke 5923 heavy 3513, now you make 7043 it lighter 7043 for us!’ But you shall speak 1696 to them, ‘My little 6995 finger 6995 is thicker 5666 than 4480 my father’s 1 loins 4975!

 12:11 ‘Whereas 6258 my father 1 loaded 6006 you with a heavy 3515 yoke 5923, I will add 3254 to your yoke 5923; my father 1 disciplined 3256 you with whips 7752, but I will discipline 3256 you with scorpions 6137.’”

 12:12 ¶ Then Jeroboam 3379 and all 3605 the people 5971a came 935 to Rehoboam 7346 on the third 7992 day 3117 as the king 4428 had directed 1696, saying 559, “Return 7725 to me on the third 7992 day 3117.”

 12:13 The king 4428 answered 6030a the people 5971a harshly 7186, for he forsook 5800a the advice 6098 of the elders 2205 which 834 they had given 3289 him,

 12:14 and he spoke 1696 to them according to the advice 6098 of the young 3206 men 3206, saying 559, “My father 1 made 3513 your yoke 5923 heavy 3513, but I will add 3254 to your yoke 5923; my father 1 disciplined 3256 you with whips 7752, but I will discipline 3256 you with scorpions 6137.”

 12:15 So the king 4428 did not listen 8085 to the people 5971a; for it was a turn 5438 [of events] from the LORD 3068, that He might establish 6965 His word 1697, which 834 the LORD 3068 spoke 1696 through 3027 Ahijah 281 the Shilonite 7888 to Jeroboam 3379 the son 1121 of Nebat 5028.

 12:16 ¶ When all 3605 Israel 3478 [saw] that the king 4428 did not listen 8085 to them, the people 5971a answered 7725 the king 4428, saying 559, “What 4100 portion 2506 do we have in David 1732? [We have] no 3808 inheritance 5159 in the son 1121 of Jesse 3448; To your tents 168, O Israel 3478! Now 6258 look 7200 after your own house 1004, David 1732!” So Israel 3478 departed 1980 to their tents 168.

 12:17 But as for the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 who lived 3427 in the cities 5892b of Judah 3063, Rehoboam 7346 reigned 4427a over 5921 them.

 12:18 Then King 4428 Rehoboam 7346 sent 7971 Adoram 151, who 834 was over 5921 the forced 4522 labor 4522, and all 3605 Israel 3478 stoned 7275 him to death 4191. And King 4428 Rehoboam 7346 made 553 haste 553 to mount 5927 his chariot 4818 to flee 5127 to Jerusalem 3389.

 12:19 So Israel 3478 has been in rebellion 6586 against the house 1004 of David 1732 to this 2088 day 3117.

 12:20 ¶ It came 1961 about when all 3605 Israel 3478 heard 8085 that Jeroboam 3379 had returned 7725, that they sent 7971 and called 7121 him to the assembly 5712 and made 4427a him king 4427a over 5921 all 3605 Israel 3478. None 3808 but the tribe 7626 of Judah 3063 followed 310 the house 1004 of David 1732.

 12:21 ¶ Now when Rehoboam 7346 had come 935 to Jerusalem 3389, he assembled 6950 all 3605 the house 1004 of Judah 3063 and the tribe 7626 of Benjamin 1144, 180,000 3967 8084 505 chosen 977 men who were warriors 4421, to fight 3898a against 5973 the house 1004 of Israel 3478 to restore 7725 the kingdom 4410 to Rehoboam 7346 the son 1121 of Solomon 8010.

 12:22 But the word 1697 of God 430 came 1961 to Shemaiah 8098 the man 376 of God 430, saying 559,

 12:23 “Speak 559 to Rehoboam 7346 the son 1121 of Solomon 8010, king 4428 of Judah 3063, and to all 3605 the house 1004 of Judah 3063 and Benjamin 1144 and to the rest 3499a of the people 5971a, saying 559,

 12:24 ‘Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, “You must not go 5927 up and fight 3898a against 5973 your relatives 251 the sons 1121 of Israel 3478; return 7725 every 376 man 376 to his house 1004, for this 2088 thing 1697 has come 1961 from Me.”’” So they listened 8085 to the word 1697 of the LORD 3068, and returned 7725 and went 1980 [their way] according to the word 1697 of the LORD 3068.

 12:25 ¶ Then Jeroboam 3379 built 1129 Shechem 7927 in the hill 2022 country 2022 of Ephraim 669, and lived 3427 there. And he went 3318 out from there 8033 and built 1129 Penuel 6439.

 12:26 Jeroboam 3379 said 559 in his heart 3820, “Now 6258 the kingdom 4467 will return 7725 to the house 1004 of David 1732.

 12:27 “If 518 this 2088 people 5971a go 5927 up to offer 6213a sacrifices 2077 in the house 1004 of the LORD 3068 at Jerusalem 3389, then the heart 3820 of this 2088 people 5971a will return 7725 to their lord 113, [even] to Rehoboam 7346 king 4428 of Judah 3063; and they will kill 2026 me and return 7725 to Rehoboam 7346 king 4428 of Judah 3063.”

 12:28 So the king 4428 consulted 3289, and made 6213a two 8147 golden 2091 calves 5695, and he said 559 to them, “It is too 4480 much 7227a for you to go 5927 up to Jerusalem 3389; behold 2009 your gods 430, O Israel 3478, that brought 5927 you up from the land 776 of Egypt 4714.”

 12:29 He set 7760 one 259 in Bethel 1008, and the other 259 he put 5414 in Dan 1835.

 12:30 Now this 2088 thing 1697 became 1961 a sin 2403b, for the people 5971a went 1980 [to worship] before 6440 the one 259 as far 5704 as Dan 1835.

 12:31 And he made 6213a houses 1004 on high 1116 places 1116, and made 6213a priests 3548 from among all 7098 the people 5971a who 834 were not of the sons 1121 of Levi 3878.

 12:32 Jeroboam 3379 instituted 6213a a feast 2282 in the eighth 8066 month 2320 on the fifteenth 2568 6240 day 3117 of the month 2320, like the feast 2282 which 834 is in Judah 3063, and he went 5927 up to the altar 4196; thus 3651 he did 6213a in Bethel 1008, sacrificing 2076 to the calves 5695 which 834 he had made 6213a. And he stationed 5975 in Bethel 1008 the priests 3548 of the high 1116 places 1116 which 834 he had made 6213a.

 12:33 Then he went 5927 up to the altar 4196 which 834 he had made 6213a in Bethel 1008 on the fifteenth 2568 6240 day 3117 in the eighth 8066 month 2320, even in the month 2320 which 834 he had devised 908 in his own heart 3820; and he instituted 6213a a feast 2282 for the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 and went 5927 up to the altar 4196 to burn 6999 incense 6999.