| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. | 1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. |
| 2So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. | 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. |
| 3Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, | 3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said, |
| 4“Your father made our 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.” | 4“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” |
| 5So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed. | 5Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed. |
| 6Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” | 6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. |
| 7And 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.” | 7They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” |
| 8But 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. | 8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served 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’?” | 9He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” |
| 10Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the 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! | 10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! |
| 11And 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!’ ” | 11Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ” |
| 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” | 12After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.” |
| 13Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, | 13And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders |
| 14and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” | 14and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.” |
| 15So 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. | 15So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 16Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!” So all Israel departed to their tents. | 16When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, |
| 17But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. | 17but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. |
| 18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. | 18Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem. |
| 19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. | 19So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. |
|
