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Chapter 12
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1
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And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come
to Shechem to make him king. |
2
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And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from
the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) |
3
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That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all
the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam,
saying, |
4
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Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make
thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy
yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve
thee. |
5
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And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then
come again to me. And the people departed. |
6
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And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that
stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and
said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? |
7
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And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a
servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them,
and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they
will be thy servants for ever. |
8
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But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they
had given him, and consulted with the young men that
were grown up with him, and which stood before him: |
9
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And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we
may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying,
Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? |
10
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And the young men that were grown up with him spake
unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people
that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke
heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou
say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than
my father's loins. |
11
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And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy
yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised
you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. |
12
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So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the
third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to
me again the third day. |
13
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And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook
the old men's counsel that they gave him; |
14
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And spake to them after the counsel of the young men,
saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add
to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips,
but I will chastise you with scorpions. |
15
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Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for
the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his
saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite
unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. |
16
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So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not
unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What
portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance
in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see
to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their
tents. |
17
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But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the
cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. |
18
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Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute;
and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his
chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. |
19
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So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto
this day. |
20
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And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam
was come again, that they sent and called him unto the
congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there
was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe
of Judah only. |
21
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And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled
all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an
hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were
warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring
the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. |
22
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But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God,
saying, |
23
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Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah,
and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to
the remnant of the people, saying, |
24
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Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight
against your brethren the children of Israel: return
every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They
hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned
to depart, according to the word of the LORD. |
25
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Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt
therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. |
26
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And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom
return to the house of David: |
27
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If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of
the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people
turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of
Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam
king of Judah. |
28
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Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves
of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to
go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. |
29
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And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he
in Dan. |
30
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And this thing became a sin: for the people went to
worship before the one, even unto Dan. |
31
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And he made an house of high places, and made priests
of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons
of Levi. |
32
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And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month,
on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast
that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did
he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had
made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high
places which he had made. |
33
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So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel
the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month
which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a
feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon
the altar, and burnt incense. |
