II Chronicles Chapter 10

II Chronicles 10 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to acclaim him king.
2. 2Jeroboam son of Nebat learned of it while he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon, and Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
3. 3They sent for him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam as follows:
4. 4“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke that your father laid on us, and we will serve you.”
5. 5He answered them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.
6. 6King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had served during the lifetime of his father Solomon. He said, “What answer do you counsel to give these people?”
7. 7They answered him, “If you will be good to these people and appease them and speak to them with kind words, they will be your servants always.”
8. 8But he ignored the counsel that the elders gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
9. 9“What,” he asked, “do you counsel that we reply to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us’?”
10. 10And the young men who had grown up with him answered, “Speak thus to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us.’ Say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
11. 11My father imposed a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I [will do so] with scorpions.’”
12. 12Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, since the king had told them, “Come back on the third day.”
13. 13The king answered them harshly; thus King Rehoboam ignored the elders’ counsel.
14. 14He spoke to them in accordance with the counsel of the young men, and said, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it; my father flogged you with whips, but I [will do so] with scorpions.”
15. 15The king did not listen to the people, for God had brought it about—in order to fulfill the promise that G OD had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16. 16When all Israel [saw] that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king: “We have no portion in David, No share in Jesse’s son! Everyone to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, O David.” So all Israel returned to their homes.
17. 17But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18. 18King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites pelted him to death with stones. Thereupon, King Rehoboam hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
19. 19Israel has been in revolt against the house of David to this day.

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