1And Reḥaḇ‛am went to Sheḵem, for all Yisra’ĕl had gone to Sheḵem to set him up to reign.

2And it came to be, when Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat heard it – he was in Mitsrayim where he had fled from the presence of Shelomoh the sovereign – that Yaroḇ‛am returned from Mitsrayim.

3So they sent for him and called him. And Yaroḇ‛am and all Yisra’ĕl came and spoke to Reḥaḇ‛am, saying,

4“Your father made our yoke hard, and now, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, then we shall serve you.”

5And he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people went.

6Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am consulted the elders who stood before his father Shelomoh while he still lived, saying, “What do you advise me to answer these people?”

7And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are good to these people, and shall please them, and speak good words to them, they shall be your servants all the days.”

8But he ignored the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9And 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’?”

10And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Say this to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us.’ Say this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

11‘And now, my father put a heavy yoke on you, but I, I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I with scourges!’ ”

12So Yaroḇ‛am and all the people came to Reḥaḇ‛am on the third day, as the sovereign commanded, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13And the sovereign answered them harshly. Thus Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am ignored the advice of the elders,

14and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I, I add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I with scourges!”

15So the sovereign did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from Elohim, in order for יהוה to establish His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Aḥiyahu the Shilonite to Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat.

16And when all Yisra’ĕl saw that the sovereign did not listen to them, the people answered the sovereign, saying, “What portion have we in Dawiḏ? And we have no inheritance in the son of Yishai. Every man to your mighty ones, O Yisra’ĕl! Now see to your own house, O Dawiḏ!” So all Yisra’ĕl went to their tents.

17But as for the children of Yisra’ĕl who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, Reḥaḇ‛am reigned over them.

18Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am sent Haḏoram, who was over the compulsory labour, and the children of Yisra’ĕl stoned him with stones, and he died. And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am hastily mounted his chariot to flee to Yerushalayim.

19Thus Yisra’ĕl revolted against the house of Dawiḏ to this day.