1 Kings 12
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And a Rehoboam went to b Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
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So it happened, when c Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in d Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),
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that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
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"Your father made our e yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you."
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So he said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." And the people departed.
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Then 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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And they spoke to him, saying, f "If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."
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But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
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And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"
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Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us' - thus you shall say to them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist!
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'And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!' "
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So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, "Come back to me the third day."
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Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;
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and he spoke to them 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 chastise you with scourges!"
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So the king did not listen to the people; for g the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had h spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
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Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
i "What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!"
So Israel departed to their tents.
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But Rehoboam reigned over j the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
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Then King Rehoboam k sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
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So l Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
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Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all m Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah n only.
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And when o Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of p Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
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But q the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
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"Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
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'Thus says the LORD: "You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, r for this thing is from Me." ' " Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
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Then Jeroboam s built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built t Penuel.
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And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
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"If these people u 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, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."
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Therefore the king asked advice, v made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. w Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!"
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And he set up one in x Bethel, and the other he put in y Dan.
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Now this thing became z a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
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He made shrines on the high places, a and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
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Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like b the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. c And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
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So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had d devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and e burned incense.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 10:1
And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
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Cross References
Judges 9:6
And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.
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Cross References
1 Kings 11:26
Then Solomon's servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.
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Cross References
1 Kings 11:40
Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 8:11 - 18
And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
1 Kings 4:7
And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.
1 Kings 5:13 - 15
Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 10:7
And they spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.
Judges 14:4
But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD - that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
1 Kings 12:24
Thus says the LORD: "You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me." ' " Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
2 Chronicles 10:15
So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
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Cross References
1 Kings 11:11
Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
1 Kings 11:29
Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.
1 Kings 11:31
And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you
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Cross References
2 Samuel 20:1
And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: "We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!
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Cross References
1 Kings 11:13
"However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."
1 Kings 11:36
And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.
2 Chronicles 11:14 - 17
For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD.
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Cross References
1 Kings 4:6
Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.
1 Kings 5:14
And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force.
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:21
For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.
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Cross References
2 Kings 17:21
For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.
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Cross References
1 Kings 11:13
"However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."
1 Kings 11:32
(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel).
1 Kings 11:36
And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 11:1 - 4
Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 19:17
There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king.
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Cross References
2 Chronicles 11:2
But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying.
2 Chronicles 12:5 - 7
Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the LORD: 'You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.'
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Cross References
1 Kings 12:15
So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
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Cross References
Genesis 12:6
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
Judges 9:45 - 49
So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
1 Kings 12:1
And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
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Cross References
Genesis 32:30
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Genesis 32:31
Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
Judges 8:8
Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
Judges 8:17
Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 12:5 - 7
But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.
Deuteronomy 12:14
But in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
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Cross References
2 Kings 10:29
However Jehu did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan.
2 Kings 17:16
So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
Hosea 8:4 - 7
They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves - That they might be cut off.
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Cross References
Exodus 32:4
And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!
Exodus 32:8
"They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!'"
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Cross References
Genesis 28:19
And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
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Cross References
Judges 18:26 - 31
Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
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Cross References
1 Kings 13:34
And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.
2 Kings 17:21
For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin.
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Cross References
Numbers 3:10
"So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and t...
Numbers 17:1 - 11
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Judges 17:5
The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod a...
1 Kings 13:33
After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his...
2 Kings 17:32
So they feared the LORD, and from every class t...
2 Chronicles 11:14
For the Levites left their common-lands and the...
2 Chronicles 11:15
Then he appointed for himself priests for the h...
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Cross References
Leviticus 23:33
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying.
Leviticus 23:34
Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.
Numbers 29:12
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days.
1 Kings 8:2
Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
1 Kings 8:5
Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.
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Cross References
Amos 7:10 - 13
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.
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Cross References
Numbers 15:39
And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined.
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Cross References
1 Kings 13:1
And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.