1And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve you. 5And he said to them, Come back to me after three days. And the people departed. 6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel do you give me to return an answer to this people? 7And they spoke to him, saying, If you are kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants for ever. 8But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9And he said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return an answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your father put upon us lighter? 10And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter for us; thus you shall say to them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. 11And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father 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 said, saying, Come back to me the third day. 13And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14and spoke to them according to the counsel 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 scorpions. 15So the king did not listen to the people; for it was brought about by God, that Yehovah might establish his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to your own house, David. So all Israel departed to their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made haste to get up into his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.