Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 12"

1 Kings 12

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come to proclaim him king.

2 When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it - for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo; so Yarov'am was living in Egypt;

3 but they sent and summoned him - Yarov'am and the whole community of Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

4 "Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you."

5 He said to them, "Leave me alone for three days, then come back to me." So the people left.

6 King Rechav'am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, "What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?"

7 They said to him, "If you will start today being a servant to these people - if you will serve them, be responsive to them and give them favorable consideration, then they will be your servants forever."

8 But he didn't take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants.

9 He asked them, "What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us'?"

10 The young men he had grown up with said to him, "These people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy; but you, make it lighter for us' - here's the answer you should give them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

11 Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!'"

12 So Yarov'am and all the people came to Rechav'am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, "Come to me again the third day";

13 and the king answered the people harshly. Abandoning the advice the older men had given him,

14 he addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!"

15 So the king didn't listen to the people; and that was something ADONAI brought about, so that he could fulfill his word, which ADONAI had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov'am the son of N'vat.

16 When all Isra'el saw that the king wasn't listening to them, the people answered the king, "Do we have any share in David? We have no heritage in the son of Yishai! Go to your tents, Isra'el! Care for your own house, David!" So Isra'el left for their tents.

17 But as for the people of Isra'el living in the cities of Y'hudah, Rechav'am ruled over them.

18 King Rechav'am then sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but all Isra'el stoned him to death. King Rechav'am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim.

19 Isra'el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.

20 On hearing that Yarov'am had returned, all Isra'el summoned him to the assembly and proclaimed him king over all Isra'el. No one followed the dynasty of David except the tribe of Y'hudah.

21 When Rechav'am arrived in Yerushalayim, he assembled all the house of Y'hudah and the tribe of Binyamin, 180,000 select soldiers, to fight the house of Isra'el and bring the rulership back to Rechav'am the son of Shlomo.

22 But this word from God came to Sh'ma'yah the man of God:

23 "Speak to Rechav'am the son of Shlomo, king of Y'hudah, to all the house of Y'hudah and Binyamin and to the rest of the people; tell them

24 that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are not to go up and fight your brothers the people of Isra'el! Every man is to go back home, because this is my doing.'" They paid attention to the word of ADONAI and turned back, as ADONAI had told them to do.

25 Then Yarov'am built up Sh'khem in the hills of Efrayim and lived there. After that, he left and built up P'nu'el.

26 Nevertheless Yarov'am said to himself, "Now the rulership will return to the house of David.

27 For if these people continue going up to offer sacrifices in the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, their hearts will turn back to their lord, Rechav'am king of Y'hudah. Then they will kill me and return to Rechav'am king of Y'hudah."

28 After seeking advice, the king made two calves of gold and said to the people, "You have been going up to Yerushalayim long enough! Here are your gods, Isra'el, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

29 He placed one in Beit-El and the other in Dan,

30 and the affair became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one [in Beit-El and] all the way to Dan [to worship the other].

31 He also set up temples on the high places and made cohanim from among all the people, even though they were not descended from Levi.

32 Yarov'am instituted a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, similar to the festival held in Y'hudah; he went up to the altar in Beit-El to sacrifice to the calves he had made; and he placed in Beit-El the cohanim he had appointed for the high places.

33 He went up to the altar which he had set up in Beit-El on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had chosen on his own, and instituted a festival for the people of Isra'el; he went up to the altar to burn incense.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

2 Jeroboam (Nebat's son) was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard [about Rehoboam], he returned from Egypt.

3 [Israel] sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and the entire assembly of Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said,

4 "Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us, and we will serve you."

5 He said to them, "Leave and come back the day after tomorrow." So the people left.

6 King Rehoboam sought advice from the older leaders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked, "What do you advise? How should I respond to these people?"

7 They told him, "If you will serve these people today, humble yourself, and speak gently, then they will always be your servants."

8 But he ignored the advice the older leaders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them?"

10 The young men who had grown up with him answered, "This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body.

11 If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.'"

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them.

13 The king answered the people harshly. He ignored the advice the older leaders gave him.

14 He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said, "If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions."

15 The king refused to listen to the people because the LORD was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam (Nebat's son) through Ahijah from Shiloh.

16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, "What share do we have in David's kingdom? We won't receive an inheritance from Jesse's son. To your own tents, Israel! Now look after your own house, David!" So Israel went home to their own tents.

17 But Rehoboam ruled the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram to Israel. He was in charge of forced labor, but they stoned him to death. So King Rehoboam got on his chariot as fast as he could and fled to Jerusalem.

19 Israel has rebelled against David's dynasty to this day.

20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent men to invite him to the assembly. They made him king of all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's dynasty.

21 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he gathered all the people of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 of the best soldiers, to fight against the people of Israel and return the kingdom to Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

22 But God spoke his word to Shemaiah, the man of God. He said,

23 "Speak to Judah's King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people.

24 This is what the LORD says: Don't wage war against your relatives from Israel. Everyone, go home. What has happened is my doing." So they obeyed the word of the LORD. They returned [home], as the LORD told them.

25 Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in the hills of Ephraim and lived there. Then he left that place and built Penuel.

26 He said to himself, "The kingdom will probably return to David's dynasty now.

27 King Rehoboam of Judah, the former master of these people, will regain popularity if they go to sacrifice in the LORD's temple in Jerusalem. Then they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah."

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, "You've been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt."

29 He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

30 Worshiping them became [Israel's] sin. The people went as far as Dan to worship the one calf.

31 Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests.

32 Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the festival in Judah. He went to the altar in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He appointed priests from the illegal worship sites [to serve] in Bethel.

33 He went to his altar in Bethel to burn an offering on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, [the festival] he had invented for the Israelites.