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2 C H RO N I C L ES 1 1
Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4 “Your
father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten
the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that
your father imposed on us. Then we will be your
loyal subjects.”
5 Rehoboam replied, “Come back in three
days for my answer.” So the people went away.
6 Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter
with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked.
“How should I answer these people?”
7 The older counselors replied, “If you are
good to these people and do your best to please
them and give them a favorable answer, they
will always be your loyal subjects.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the
older men and instead asked the opinion of the
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 them, 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 God, 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 all the people of Israel returned home.
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.
17 But
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Shemaiah’s Prophecy
When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he
mobilized the men of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
2 But the Lord said to Shemaiah, the man of
God, 3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king
of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and
Benjamin: 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do
not fight against your relatives. Go back home,
for what has happened is my doing!’” So they
obeyed the message of the Lord and did not
fight against Jeroboam.
11
Rehoboam Fortifies Judah
5 Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified
various towns for the defense of Judah. 6 He built
up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco,
Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim,
Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.
These became the fortified towns of Judah and
Benjamin. 11 Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders in them, and
he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine.
12 He also put shields and spears in these towns
as a further safety measure. So only Judah and
Benjamin remained under his control.
13 But all the priests and Levites living among
the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam. 14 The Levites even abandoned their
pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and
his sons would not allow them to serve the
Lord as priests. 15 Jeroboam appointed his own
priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where
they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had
made. 16 From all the tribes of Israel, those who
sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God
of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem,
where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord,
the God of their ancestors. 17 This strengthened
the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they
supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the
footsteps of David and Solomon.
Rehoboam’s Family
18 Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the
daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail,
the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. 19 Mahalath
had three sons—Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
20 Later Rehoboam married another cousin,
Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more than
any of his other wives and concubines. In all,
he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines,
10:14 As in Greek version and many Hebrew manuscripts (see
also 1 Kgs 12:14); Masoretic Text reads I will lay. 10:16 As in
Syriac version, Latin Vulgate, and many Hebrew manuscripts
(see also 1 Kgs 12:16); Masoretic Text lacks realized.
10:18 Hebrew Hadoram, a variant spelling of Adoniram;
compare 1 Kgs 4:6; 5:14; 12:18.