Kings III

12

1 And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king.

3 And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy;

4 but do thou now lighten somewhat of the hard service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke which he *put upon us, and we will serve thee.

5 And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.

6 And the king referred the matter to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do ye advise †that I should answer this people?

7 And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt this day be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them, and wilt speak to them good words, then will they be thy servants continually.

8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence.

9 And he said to them, What counsel do ye give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which thy father has put upon us?

10 And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people who have spoken to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and do thou now lighten it from off us: thus shalt thou say to them, My ‡little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

11 And §whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12 And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day.

13 And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of the old men which they counselled him.

14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 And the king hearkened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke **by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

16 And all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessæ. Depart, O Israel, to thy tents: now feed thine own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.

18 And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam ††made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem.

19 So Israel ‡‡rebelled against the house of David until this day.

20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.

21 And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon.

22 And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying,

23 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.

24a So king Solomon sleeps with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Roboam his son reigned in his stead in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old §§when he began to reign, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Naanan, daughter of Ana son of Naas king of the children of Ammon. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked not in the way of David his father.

24b And there was a man of mount Ephraim, a servant to Solomon, and his name was Jeroboam; and the name of his mother was Sarira, a harlot; and Solomon made him head of the levies of the house of Joseph: and he built for Solomon Sarira in mount Ephraim; and he had three hundred chariots of horses: he built the citadel with the levies of the house of Ephraim; he fortified the city of David, and aspired to the kingdom.

24c And Solomon sought to kill him; and he was afraid, and escaped to Susakim king of Egypt, and was with him until Solomon died.

24d And Jeroboam heard in Egypt that Solomon was dead; and he spoke in the ears of Susakim king of Egypt, saying, Let me go, and I will depart into my land; and Susakim said to him, Ask any request, and I will grant it thee.

24e And Susakim gave to Jeroboam Ano the eldest sister of Thekemina his wife, to be his wife: she was great among the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jeroboam Abia his son:

24f and Jeroboam said to Susakim, Let me indeed go, and I will depart.

And Jeroboam departed out of Egypt, and came into the land of Sarira that was in mount Ephraim, and thither the whole tribe of Ephraim assembles, and Jeroboam built a fortress there.

24g And his young child was sick with a very severe sickness; and Jeroboam went to enquire concerning the child: and he said to Ano his wife, Arise, go, enquire of God concerning the child, whether he shall ***recover from his sickness.

24h Now there was a man in Selom, and his name was Achia: and he was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord was with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, and take in thine hand loaves for the man of God, and cakes for his children, and grapes, and a pot of honey.

24i And the woman arose, and took in her hand bread, and two cakes, and grapes, and a pot of honey, for Achia: and the man was old, and his †††eyes were dim, so that he could not see.

24k And she arose up from Sarira and went; and it came to pass when she had come into the city to Achia the Selonite, that Achia said to his servant, Go out now to meet Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and thou shalt say to her, Come in, and stand not still: for thus saith the Lord, I send grievous tidings to thee.

24l And Ano went in to the man of God; and Achia said to her, Why hast thou brought me bread and grapes, and cakes, and a pot of honey? Thus saith the Lord, Behold, thou shalt depart from me, and it shall come to pass when thou hast entered into the city, even into Sarira, that thy maidens shall come out to meet thee, and shall say to thee, The child is dead:

24m for thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will destroy every male of Jeroboam, and there shall be the dead of Jeroboam in the city, them the dogs shall eat, and him that has died in the field shall the birds of the air eat, and he shall lament for the child, saying, Woe is me, Lord! for there has been found in him some good thing touching the Lord.

24n And the woman departed, when she heard this: and it came to pass as she entered into Sarira, that the child died; and there came forth a wailing to meet her. And Jeroboam went to Sikima in mount Ephraim, and assembled there the tribes of Israel; and Roboam the son of Solomon went up thither.

24o And the word of the Lord came to Samaias son of Enlami, saying, Take to thyself a new garment which has not gone into the water, and rend it into twelve pieces; and thou shalt give some to Jeroboam, and shalt say to him, Thus saith the Lord, Take to thyself ten pieces to cover thee: and Jeroboam took them: and Samaias said, Thus saith the Lord concerning the ten tribes of Israel.

24p And the people said to Roboam the son of Solomon, Thy father made his yoke heavy upon us, and made the meat of his table heavy; and now thou shalt lighten them upon us, and we will serve thee.

24q And Roboam said to the people, Wait three days, and I will return you an answer: and Roboam said, Bring in to me the elders, and I will take counsel with them what I shall answer to the people on the third day. So Roboam spoke in their ears, as the people sent to him to say: and the elders of the people said, Thus the people have spoken to thee.