| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. | 1Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king. |
| 2And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. | 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt. |
| 3And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, | 3They sent for him and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, |
| 4“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” | 4"Your father made us work too hard! Now if you lighten the demands he made and don't make us work as hard, we will serve you." |
| 5He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away. | 5He said to them, "Go away for three days, then return to me." So the people went away. |
| 6Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” | 6King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, "How do you advise me to answer these people?" |
| 7And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” | 7They said to him, "If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward." |
| 8But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. | 8But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. |
| 9And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” | 9He asked them, "How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, 'Lessen the demands your father placed on us'?" |
| 10And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. | 10The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, "Say this to these people who have said to you, 'Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden'--say this to them: 'I am a lot harsher than my father! |
| 11And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” | 11My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.'" |
| 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” | 12Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, "Return to me on the third day." |
| 13And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, | 13The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men |
| 14King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” | 14and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, "My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh." |
| 15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. | 15The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 16And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. | 16When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, "We have no portion in David--no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!" So all Israel returned to their homes. |
| 17But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. | 17(Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) |
| 18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. | 18King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. |
| 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. | 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. |
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