- Kings III
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12
1-2 And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king. 3 And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy; 4 but do you now lighten somewhat of the hard service of your father, and of his heavy yoke which he *Gr. gave. put upon us, and we will serve you. 5 And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed. 6 And the king referred the matter to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do you⌃ advise †Gr. and I should answer a word, etc. that I should answer this people? 7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you will this day be a servant to this people, and will serve them, and will speak to them good words, then will they be your servants continually. 8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence. 9 And he said to them, What counsel do you⌃ give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which your father has put upon us? 10 And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shall you say to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, and do you now lighten it from off us: thus shall say to them, My ‡Gr. littleness. little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 11 And §Gr. now. whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12 And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day. 13 And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him. 14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 And the king listened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke **Gr. by the hand of. by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat. 16-17 And all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to your tents: now feed your own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents. 18 And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam ††Gr. prevented. made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel ‡‡Gr. disowned allegiance. rebelled against the house of David until this day. 20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only. 21 And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon. 22 And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying, 23 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24 Thus says the Lord, You⌃ shall not go up, neither shall you⌃ fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they listened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.
So king Solomon sleeps with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Roboam his son reigned in his stead in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old §§Gr. in his reigning. when he began to reign, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Naanan, daughter of Ana son of Naas king of the children of Ammon. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked not in the way of David his father.
And there was a man of mount Ephraim, a servant to Solomon, and his name was Jeroboam: and the name of his mother was Sarira, a harlot: and Solomon made him head of the levies of the house of Joseph: and he built for Solomon Sarira in mount Ephraim; and he had three hundred chariots of horses: he built the citadel with the levies of the house of Ephraim; he fortified the city of David, and aspired to the kingdom, And Solomon sought to kill him; and he was afraid, and escaped to Susakim king of Egypt, and was with him until Solomon died.
And Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon was dead: and he spoke in the ears of Susakim king of Egypt, saying, Let me go, and I will depart into my land: and Susakim said to him, Ask and request, and I will grant it you. And Susakim gave to Jeroboam Ano the oldest sister of Thekemina his wife: she was great amongst the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jerobaom Abia his son: and Jeroboam said to Susakim, Let me indeed go, and I will depart.
And Jeroboam departed out of Egypt, and came into the land of Saria that was in mount Ephraim, and there the whole in mount Ephraim, and there the whole tribe of Ephraim assembles, and Jeroboam built a fortress there.
And his young child was sick with a very severe sickness; and Jeroboam went to enquire concerning the child: and he said to Ano his wife, Arise, go, enquire of God concerning the child, whether he shall ***Gr. live. recover from his sickness. Now there was a man in Selom, an his name was Achia: and he was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord was with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, and take in your hand loaves for the man of God, and cakes for his children, and grapes, and a pot of honey. And the woman arose, and took in her hand bread, and two cakes, and grapes, and a pot of honey, for Achia: and the man was old, and his †††Gr. were blunted from seeing. eyes were dim, so that he could not see. And she arose, up from Sarira and went; and it came to pass when she had come into the city to Achia the Selonite, that Achia said to his servant, Go out now to meet Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and you shall say to her, Come in, and stand not still: for thus says the Lord, I send grievous tidings to you. And Ano went in to the man of God; and Achia said to her, Why have you brought me bread and grapes, and cakes, and a pot of honey? Thus says the Lord, Behold, you shall depart from me, and it shall come to pass when you have entered into the city, even into Sarira, that your maidens shall come out to meet you, and shall say to you, The child is dead: for thus says the Lord, Behold, I will destroy every male of Jeroboam, and there shall be the dead of Jeroboam in the city, them the dogs shall eat, and him that eat, and he shall lament for the child, saying, Woe is me, Lord! For there has been found in him some good thing touching the Lord.
And the woman departed, when she heard this: and it came to pass as she entered into Sarira, that the child died; and there came forth a wailing to meet her. And Jeroboam went to Sikima in mount Ephraim, and assembled there the tribes of Israel; and Roboam the son of Solomon went up there. And the word of the Lord came to Samaias son of Enlami, saying, Take to yourself a new garment which has not gone into the water, and rend it into twelve pieces; and you shall five some to Jeroboam, and shall say to him, thus says the Lord, Take to yourself ten pieces to cover you: and Jeroboam took them: and Samaias said, Thus says the Lord concerning the ten tribes of Israel.
And the people said to Roboam the son of Solomon, Your father make his yoke heavy upon us, and made the meat of his table heavy; and now you shall lighten them upon us, and we will serve you. And Roboam said to the people, Wait three days, and I will return you an answer: and Roboam said, Bring in to me the elders, and I will take counsel with them what I shall answer to the people on the third day, So Roboam spoke in their ears, as the people sent to him to say: and the elders of the people said, Thus the people have spoken to you.
And Roboam ‡‡‡Gr. dispersed. rejected their counsel, and it pleased him not: and he sent and brought in those who had been brought up with him; and he said to them, Thus and thus has the people sent to me to say: and they that had been brought up with him said, Thus shall you speak to the people saying, My §§§Gr. littleness. little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins; my father scourged you with whips, but I will rule you with scorpions.
And the saying pleased Roboam, and he answered the people as the young men, they that were brought up with him, counselled him: and all the people spoke as one man, every one to his neighbour, and they cried out all together, saying, We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jessae: to they tents, O Israel, every one; for this man is not for a prince or a ruler over us. And all the people was dispersed from Sikima, and they departed every one to his tent: and Roboam strengthened him self and departed, and mounted his chariot, and entered into Jerusalem: and there follow him the whole tribe of Juda, and the whole tribe of Benjamin. And it came to pass at the beginning of the year, that Roboam gathered all the men of Juda and Benjamin, and went up to fight with Jeroboam at Sikima. And the word of the Lord came to Sameas the man of God, saying, Speak to Roboam king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus says the Lord, You⌃ shall not go up, neither shall you⌃ fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return every man to his house, for this thing is from me. And they listened to the word of the Lord, and forbore to go up, according to the word of the Lord. 25 And Jeroboam built Sikima in mount Ephraim and lived in it, and went forth thence and built Phanuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Behold, now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27 If this people shall go up to offer sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of the people will return to the Lord, and to their master, to Roboam king of Juda, and they will kill me. 28 And the king took counsel, and went, and made two golden heifers, and said to the people, Let it suffice you *Gr. to go. to have gone hitherto to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he put one in Bethel, and he †Gr. gave. put the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; and the people went before one as far as Dan, and left the house of the Lord. 31 And he made houses on the high places, and made priests of any part of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, according to the feast in the land of Juda; 33 and went up to the altar which he made in Baethel to sacrifice to the heifers which he made, and he placed in Baethel the priests of the high places which he had made. And he went up to the altar which he had made, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, at the feast which he devised out of his own heart; and he made a feast to the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to sacrifice.

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*12:4 Gr. gave.

†12:6 Gr. and I should answer a word, etc.

‡12:10 Gr. littleness.

§12:11 Gr. now.

**12:15 Gr. by the hand of.

††12:18 Gr. prevented.

‡‡12:19 Gr. disowned allegiance.

§§12:24 Gr. in his reigning.

***12:24 Gr. live.

†††12:24 Gr. were blunted from seeing.

‡‡‡12:24 Gr. dispersed.

§§§12:24 Gr. littleness.

*12:28 Gr. to go.

†12:29 Gr. gave.

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