2 Chronicles 10
New American Standard Bible
Rehoboam’s Reign of Foolishness
10 (A)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it ((B)he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our (C)yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.
6 And then King Rehoboam (D)consulted with the elders who had [a]served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them and (E)speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always.” 8 But he (F)ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him [b]and served him. 9 He said to them, “What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [c]scorpions!’”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had [d]directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders. 14 He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “[e]My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [f]scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, (G)because it was a turn of events from God (H)so that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people replied to the king, saying,
“(I)What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”
(J)So all Israel went away to their tents. 17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in (K)charge of the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him [g]to death. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So (L)Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 10:6 Lit stood before
- 2 Chronicles 10:8 Lit who stood before
- 2 Chronicles 10:11 Prob. a brutal type of whip
- 2 Chronicles 10:12 Lit spoken
- 2 Chronicles 10:14 Many mss I have made
- 2 Chronicles 10:14 Prob. a brutal type of whip
- 2 Chronicles 10:18 Lit with stones that he died
2 Chronicles 10
Living Bible
10 All the leaders of Israel came to Shechem for Rehoboam’s coronation. 2-3 Meanwhile, friends of Jeroboam (son of Nebat) sent word to him of Solomon’s death. He was in Egypt at the time, where he had gone to escape from King Solomon. He now quickly returned, and was present at the coronation, and led the people’s demands on Rehoboam:
4 “Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Be easier on us than he was, and we will let you be our king!”
5 Rehoboam told them to return in three days for his decision. 6 He discussed their demand with the old men who had counseled his father Solomon.
“What shall I tell them?” he asked.
7 “If you want to be their king,” they replied, “you will have to give them a favorable reply and treat them with kindness.”
8-9 But he rejected their advice and asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him. “What do you fellows think I should do?” he asked. “Shall I be easier on them than my father was?”
10 “No!” they replied. “Tell them, ‘If you think my father was hard on you, just wait and see what I’ll be like!’ Tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 I am going to be tougher on you, not easier! My father used whips on you, but I’ll use scorpions!’”
12 So when Jeroboam and the people returned in three days to hear King Rehoboam’s decision, 13 he spoke roughly to them; for he refused the advice of the old men 14 and followed the counsel of the younger ones.
“My father gave you heavy burdens, but I will give you heavier!” he told them. “My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions!”
15 So the king turned down the people’s demands. (God caused him to do it in order to fulfill his prediction[a] spoken to Jeroboam by Ahijah the Shilonite.) 16 When the people realized what the king was saying, they turned their backs and deserted him.
“Forget David and his dynasty!” they shouted angrily. “We’ll get someone else to be our king. Let Rehoboam rule his own tribe of Judah! Let’s go home!” So they did.
17 The people of the tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to Rehoboam. 18 Afterwards, when King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to draft forced labor from the other tribes of Israel, the people stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19 And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 10:15 to fulfill his prediction, see 1 Kings 11:30-31.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.