1 Kings 12 (NET)

NET Bible® Scripture text without NET Bible notes. Verse anchors allow direct linking to exact verses.

1 Kings 12:1¹Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:2²When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:3³They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:4⁴“Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:5⁵He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:6⁶King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:7⁷They said to him, “Today if you will be a servant to these people and grant their request, speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:8⁸But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:9⁹He asked them, “How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:10¹⁰The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father!Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:11¹¹My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:12¹²Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:13¹³The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older menCopy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:14¹⁴and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:15¹⁵The king refused to listen to the people, because the Lord was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:16¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So Israel returned to their homes.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:17¹⁷(Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:18¹⁸King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:19¹⁹So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:20²⁰When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:21²¹When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:22²²But God told Shemaiah the prophet,Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:23²³“Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people,Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:24²⁴‘This is what the Lord has said: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home. Indeed this thing has happened because of me.”’” So they obeyed the Lord’ s message. They went home in keeping with the Lord’ s message.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:25²⁵Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:26²⁶Jeroboam then thought to himself: “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:27²⁷If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the Lord ’s temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master, King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:28²⁸After the king had consulted with his advisers, he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:29²⁹He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:30³⁰This caused Israel to sin; the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:31³¹He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests common people who were not Levites.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:32³²Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival celebrated in Judah. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions

1 Kings 12:33³³On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.Copy Link KJV+Strong’s Many Bible Versions