Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come to make him king.
1
Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to inaugurate him as king.
2 When Jeroboam, Nebat's son, heard the news, he returned from Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon.
2
Jeroboam was then in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death, he came back.
3 The people sent and called for Jeroboam, who along with all Israel came and said to Rehoboam,
3
Summoned by Israel, Jeroboam and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said,
4 "Your father made our workload very heavy; if you will lessen the demands your father made of us and lighten the heavy workload he demanded from us, then we will serve you."
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"Your father made life hard for us - worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a break; lighten up on us and we'll willingly serve you."
5 He answered them, "Come back in three days." So the people left.
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"Give me," said Rehoboam, "three days to think it over; then come back." So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive. "What do you advise?" Rehoboam asked. "How should I respond to these people?"
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King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive: "What's your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people?"
7 "If you are kind to these people and try to please them by speaking gently with them," they replied, "they will be your servants forever."
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They said, "If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of their needs and respond with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end up doing anything for you."
8 But Rehoboam ignored the advice the elders gave him and instead sought the counsel of the young advisors who had grown up with him and now served him.
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But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he'd grown up with who were now currying his favor,
9 "What do you advise?" he asked them. "How should we respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the workload your father demanded from us'?"
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"What do you think? What should I say to these people who are saying, 'Give us a break from your father's harsh ways - lighten up on us'?"
10 The young people who had grown up with Rehoboam said to him,"This people said to you, ‘Your father made our workload heavy. Lighten it for us!' Now this is what you should say to them, ‘My baby finger is thicker than my father's waist!
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The young turks he'd grown up with said, "These people who complain, 'Your father was too hard on us; lighten up' - well, tell them this: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
11 So if my father made your workload heavy, I'll make it even heavier! If my father disciplined you with whips, I'll do it with scorpions!'"
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If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!'"
12 Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had specified when he said, "Come back in three days."
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Three days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam had directed when he said, "Give me three days to think it over; then come back."
13 The king then answered the people harshly. He ignored the elders' advice,
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The king's answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders
14 and instead followed the young people's advice. He said, "My father made your workload heavy, but I'll make it even heavier; my father disciplined you with whips, but I'll do it with scorpions!"
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and went with the advice of the younger set: "If you think life under my father was hard, you haven't seen the half of it: my father thrashed you with whips; I'll beat you bloody with chains!"
15 The king didn't listen to the people because this turn of events came from God so that the LORD might keep his promise concerning Jeroboam, Nebat's son, which God delivered through Ahijah from Shiloh.
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Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, confirming the message that he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah of Shiloh.
16 When all Israel saw that the king wouldn't listen to them, the people answered the king, "Why should we care about David? We have no stake in Jesse's son! Go back to your homes, Israel! You better look after your own house now, David!" Then all Israel went back to their homes,
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When all Israel realized that the king hadn't listened to a word they'd said, they stood up to him and said, Get lost, David! We've had it with you, son of Jesse! Let's get out of here, Israel, and fast! From now on, David, mind your own business.
17 and Rehoboam ruled over only the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
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Rehoboam continued to rule only those who lived in the towns of Judah.
18 When King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to them (he was the leader of the work gang), the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam quickly got into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
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When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, the Israelites ganged up on him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem as fast as he could.
19 And so Israel has been in rebellion against David's dynasty to this day.
19
Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty ever since.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.