New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites had gone to make him king.
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Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come in order to proclaim him king.
2 Jeroboam son of Nebat was in Egypt, where he had gone to escape from King Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam being made king, he returned from Egypt.
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When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo.
3 After the people sent for him, he and the people went to Rehoboam and said to him,
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They sent and summoned him, so Yarov'am and all Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,
4 "Your father forced us to work very hard. Now, make it easier for us, and don't make us work as he did. Then we will serve you."
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"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 Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days." So the people left.
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He said to them, "Come back to me after three days." So the people left.
6 King Rehoboam asked the older leaders who had advised Solomon during his lifetime, "How do you think I should answer these people?"
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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 answered, "Be kind to these people. If you please them and give them a kind answer, they will serve you always."
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They said to him, "If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever."
8 But Rehoboam rejected this advice. Instead, he asked the young men who had grown up with him and who served as his advisers.
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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 Rehoboam asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who said, 'Don't make us work as hard as your father did'?"
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He said to 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 who had grown up with him answered, "The people said to you, 'Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.' You should tell them, 'My little finger is bigger than my father's legs.
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The young men he had grown up with said to him, "The 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 He forced you to work hard, but I will make you work even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.'"
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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 Rehoboam had told the people, "Come back to me in three days." So after three days Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam.
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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 King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them, because he had rejected the advice of the older leaders.
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and the king answered them harshly. Abandoning the advice of the older men, King Rechav'am
14 He followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you work even harder. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have sharp points."
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addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, "I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!"
15 So the king did not listen to the people. God caused this to happen so that the Lord could keep the promise he had made to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.
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So the king didn't listen to the people; and that was something God brought about, so that ADONAI could fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov'am the son of N'vat.
16 When all the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them, they said to the king, "We have no share in David! People of Israel, let's go to our own homes! Let David's son rule his own people." So all the Israelites went home.
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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! Everyone to your tents, Isra'el! Care for your own house, David!" So all Isra'el left for their tents.
17 But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
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But as for the people of Isra'el living in the cities of Y'hudah, Rechav'am ruled over them.
18 Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. When Rehoboam sent him to the people, they threw stones at him until he died. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
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King Rechav'am then sent Hadoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but the people of Isra'el stoned him to death. King Rechav'am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim.
19 Since then, Israel has been against the family of David.
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Isra'el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.