1And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard [of it] (for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt), 3that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy 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. 5And he said unto them, Depart, and in three days come again to me. And the people departed. 6Then King Rehoboam consulted with the old men that had stood before Solomon, his father, while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? 7And they spoke unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day and wilt serve them and answer them by speaking good words unto them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 8But 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] who stood before him. 9And 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 put upon us lighter? 10And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spoke 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] is thicker than my father's loins. 11And now whereas my father ladened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father has chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13And the king answered the people roughly and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him 14and spoke 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. 15Therefore, the king did not hearken unto the people, for the cause was from the LORD, to confirm his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. 16So when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? There is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 17But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who [was] over the tribute, but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Then king Rehoboam made speed to get into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 20And 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 were none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 21And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen [men] of war, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came unto Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, 23Speak 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, 24Thus hath the LORD said, Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren, the sons of Israel; return each one 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. 25And Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt therein, and going out from there, rebuilt Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David 27if this people go up to sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem; for the heart of this people shall turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam, king of Judah. 28And having [taken] counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said unto [the people], 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. 29And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. 30And this became an [occasion for] sin, for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan. 31And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32[Then] Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that [was celebrated] in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 33So he sacrificed upon the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had devised of his own heart, and made a feast unto the sons of Israel; and he climbed up on the altar to burn incense.: