HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 684
1 KIN G S 1 3
young men who had grown up with him and
were now his advisers. 9 “What is your advice?”
he asked them. “How should I answer these
people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”
10 The young men replied, “This is what you
should tell those complainers who want a
lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than
my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father laid heavy
burdens on you, but I’m going to make them
even heavier! My father beat you with whips,
but I will beat you with scorpions!’”
12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the
people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision,
just as the king had ordered. 13 But Rehoboam
spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the
advice of the older counselors 14 and followed
the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the
people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you,
but I’m going to make them even heavier! My
father beat you with whips, but I will beat you
with scorpions!”
15 So the king paid no attention to the people.
This turn of events was the will of the Lord,
for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam
son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from
Shiloh.
16 When all Israel realized that the king had
refused to listen to them, they responded,
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house, O David!”
So the people of Israel returned home. 17 But
Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites
who lived in the towns of Judah.
18 King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,* who was
in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but
the people of Israel stoned him to death. When
this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly
jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
19 And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant
of David.
20 When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only
the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family
of David.
Shemaiah’s Prophecy
21 When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against
the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to
himself.
22 But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,
23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of
Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is
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what the Lord says: Do not fight against your
relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what
has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed
the message of the Lord and went home, as the
Lord had commanded.
Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves
25 Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem
in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became
his capital. Later he went and built up the town
of Peniel.*
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am
careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty
of David. 27 When these people go to Jerusalem
to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord,
they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make
him their king instead.”
28 So on the advice of his counselors, the king
made two gold calves. He said to the people,*
“It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who
brought you out of Egypt!”
29 He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in
Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 30 But this
became a great sin, for the people worshiped
the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
31 Jeroboam also erected buildings at the
pagan shrines and ordained priests from the
common people—those who were not from
the priestly tribe of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on
the fifteenth day of the eighth month,* in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah.
There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices
to the calves he had made, and he appointed
priests for the pagan shrines he had made. 33 So
on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day
that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went
up to the altar to burn incense.
A Prophet Denounces Jeroboam
At the Lord’s command, a man of God
from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there
just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to
burn incense. 2 Then at the Lord’s command, he
shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what the Lord
says: A child named Josiah will be born into
the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice
the priests from the pagan shrines who come
here to burn incense, and human bones will be
burned on you.” 3 That same day the man of God
gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The
Lord has promised to give this sign: This altar
13
12:18 As in some Greek manuscripts and Syriac version
(see also 4:6; 5:14); Hebrew reads Adoram. 12:25 Hebrew
Penuel, a variant spelling of Peniel. 12:28 Hebrew to them.
12:32 This day of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred
in late October or early November, exactly one month after the
annual Festival of Shelters in Judah (see Lev 23:34).