Rebellion against Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1–15)
1 UDB All the people of northern Israel went to the city Shechem in order to appoint Rehoboam to be their king. So Rehoboam also went there. BSB BSB: Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
2 UDB Now Jeroboam son of Nebat had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. While he was in Egypt he heard about the people wanting to appoint Rehoboam to be their king, and so he returned to Israel from Egypt. BSB BSB: When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.
3 UDB So the leaders of the northern tribes summoned Jeroboam, and he went with them to talk to Rehoboam. They said to Rehoboam, BSB BSB: So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,
4 UDB "Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard, but if you charge us fewer taxes than we were paying to him, and if you make us work not so much we will serve you faithfully." BSB BSB: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 UDB He replied, "Come back three days from now, and I will give you my answer." So those leaders and Jeroboam left. BSB BSB: Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.
6 UDB Then King Rehoboam consulted his older men who had advised his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, "What shall I say to answer these men?" BSB BSB: Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.
7 UDB They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and do things that will please them, and if you say kind things to them when you answer them, they will always serve you." BSB BSB: They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 UDB But he did not agree with what the older men advised him to do. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him, who were now his advisors. BSB BSB: But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
9 UDB He said to them, "What do you say that I should answer the men who are asking me to reduce the work and taxes that my father required from them?" BSB BSB: He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 UDB The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Those men have said that your father forced them to work very hard for him, so they want you to reduce the work and taxes that your father required from them. But this is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist.' BSB BSB: The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11 UDB My father required you people to work hard and pay high taxes, but I will make the loads you carry even heavier. My father whipped you with leather whips, but I will whip you with scorpions." BSB BSB: Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
12 UDB Three days later, Jeroboam and all the leaders came to King Rehoboam again, as he had instructed them to do. BSB BSB: After three days, Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, since the king had said, “Come back to me on the third day.”
13 UDB The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israelite leaders. BSB BSB: And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders
14 UDB He told them what the younger men had advised. He said, "My father put heavy burdens of work and taxes on you, but I will put heavier burdens on you. It was as though he beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!" BSB BSB: and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”
15 UDB So the king did not pay any attention to the people's leaders. All this happened in order that what Yahweh wanted would occur, what he had told the prophet Ahijah about Jeroboam becoming king of the ten tribes out of the twelve. BSB BSB: So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
The Kingdom Divided (1 Kings 12:16–19)
16 UDB When the Israelite leaders realized that the king did not pay any attention to what they said, they shouted, "We do not want anything to do with this descendant of King David! We will not pay attention to what this grandson of Jesse says! You people of Israel, let us go home! As for this descendant of David, he can look after his family himself!" So the Israelite leaders returned to their homes. BSB BSB: When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home,
17 UDB And after that, the only Israelite people whom Rehoboam ruled over were those who lived in the territory of the tribe of Judah, in the countryside and in the cities, towns, and villages. BSB BSB: but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.
18 UDB Then King Rehoboam went with Adoniram to talk to the Israelite people. Adoniram was the man who supervised all the men who were forced to work for Rehoboam. But the Israelite people killed him by throwing stones at him. When that happened, King Rehoboam quickly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.
19 UDB Ever since that time, the people of the northern tribes of Israel have been rebelling against the descendants of King David. BSB BSB: So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.