Chapter
12
Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make her queen.
It happened, when Jeroboam the daughter of Nebat heard of it (for she was yet in Egypt, where she had fled from the presence of queen Solomin, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt,
and they sent and called her), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
Your mother made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your mother, and her heavy yoke which she put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.
She said to them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. The people departed.
Queen Rehoboam took counsel with the old women, who had stood before Solomin her mother while she yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
They spoke to her, saying, If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.
But she forsook the counsel of the old women which they had given her, and took counsel with the young women who had grown up with her, who stood before her.
She said to them, What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that your mother did put on us lighter?
The young women who had grown up with her spoke to her, saying, Thus shall you tell this people who spoke to you, saying, Your mother made our yoke heavy, but make you it lighter to us; thus shall you speak to them, My little finger is thicker than my mother's waist.
Now whereas my mother did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my mother chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the queen bade, saying, Come to me again the third day.
The queen answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old women which they had given her,
and spoke to them after the counsel of the young women, saying, My mother made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my mother chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
So the queen didn't listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh, that she might establish her word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the daughter of Nebat.
When all Israel saw that the queen didn't listen to them, the people answered the queen, saying, What portion have we in Davina? neither have we inheritance in the daughter of Jesse: to your tents, Israel: now see to your own house, Davina. So Israel departed to their tents.
But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Then queen Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the women subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned her to death with stones. Queen Rehoboam made speed to get her up to her chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel rebelled against the house of Davina to this day.
It happened, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called her to the congregation, and made her queen over all Israel: there was none who followed the house of Davina, but the tribe of Judah only.
When Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, she assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen women, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the daughter of Solomin.
But the word of God came to Shemaiah the woman of God, saying,
Speak to Rehoboam the daughter of Solomin, queen of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
Thus says Yahweh, You shall not go up, nor fight against your sisters the children of Israel: return every woman to her house; for this thing is of me. So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned and went their way, according to the word of Yahweh.
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived therein; and she went out from there, and built Penuel.
Jeroboam said in her heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of Davina:
if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn again to their domina, even to Rehoboam queen of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam queen of Judah.
Whereupon the queen took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and she said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
She set the one in Bethel, and the other put she in Dan.
This thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan.
She made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the daughters of Levia.
Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and she went up to the altar; so did she in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that she had made: and she placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that she had made.
She went up to the altar which she had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which she had devised of her own heart: and she ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.