Holy Bible
(King James Version)
First
Kings: Chapter 12
1. AND Re-ho-bo-am went to
She-chem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
2. And it came to pass, when Jer-o-bo-am the son of Nebat, who was yet
in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king
Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3. That they sent and called him. And Jer-o-bo-am and all the
congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Re-ho-bo-am, saying,
4. Thy 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.
5. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to
me. And the people departed.
6. And king Re-ho-bo-am consulted with the old men, that stood before
Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I
may answer this people?
7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this
people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good
words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8. But 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 which
stood before him:
9. And 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
did put upon us lighter?
10. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him,
saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake 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 shall be thicker
than my father's loins.
11. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add
to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will
chastise you with scorpions.
12. So Jer-o-bo-am and all the people came to Re-ho-bo-am the third day,
as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's
counsel that they gave him;
14. And spake 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.
15. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was
from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by
A-hi-jah the Shi-lo-nite unto Jer-o-bo-am the son of Nebat.
16. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the
people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither
have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now
see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their
tents.
17. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of
Judah, Re-ho-bo-am reigned over them.
18. Then king Re-ho-bo-am sent A-dor-am, who was over the tribute; and
all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam
made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jer-o-bo-am was come
again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him
king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David,
but the tribe of Judah only.
21. And when Re-ho-bo-am was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the
house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore
thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of
Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22. But the word of God came unto Shem-ai-ah the man of God, saying,
23. Speak unto Re-ho-bo-am, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto
all the house of Judah, and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people,
saying,
24. Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your
brethren the children of Israel: return every man 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.
25. Then Jer-o-bo-am built She-chem in mount E-phra-im, and dwelt
therein; and went out from thence, and built Pen-u-el.
26. And Jer-o-bo-am said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to
the house of David:
27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their
lord, even unto Re-ho-bo-am king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and
go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and
said unto them, 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.
29. And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.
30. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before
the one, even unto Dan.
31. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest
of the people, which were not the sons of Levi.
32. And Jer-o-bo-am ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the
fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he
offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the
calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the
high places which he had made.
33. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had
devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of
Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
May 2 Daily reading
schedule.. go to chapter 13
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