¹And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel went to Shechem to make him king. ²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it, when he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³For they sent messengers and called for him. And Jeroboam came, as did all Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam and said, ⁴“Your father made our yoke heavy, but lighten now the hard work imposed by your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵And he said to them, “In three days' time come back to me.” So the people went away. ⁶Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had stood before Solomon his father when he was alive, and he said, “How do you advise me to reply to this people?” ⁷And they spoke to him and said, “If you will be for the good of this people and be favourable to them and speak pleasing words to them, then they will be your servants all the time.” ⁸But he ignored the advice of the elders who had advised him, and he consulted the children who had grown up with him, who stood in his presence. ⁹And he said to them, “What do you advise that we reply to this people who spoke to me and said, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” ¹⁰And the children who had grown up with him spoke to him and said, “Say this to the people who spoke to you and said, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it on us’ – say this to them – : ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. ¹¹And now, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastened you with whips, but I will chasten you with scorpions.’ ” ¹²Then Jeroboam came to Rehoboam, as did all the people, on the third day, as the king had spoken when he said, “Come back to me on the third day.” ¹³And the king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders. ¹⁴And he spoke to them according to the advice of the children and said, “I will make your yoke heavy, and I will add to it. My father chastened you with whips, but I will chasten you with scorpions.” ¹⁵And the king did not listen to the people, because it was a turn of events from God, in order for the Lord to establish his word which he had spoken through the agency of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. ¹⁶And the whole of Israel realized that the king had not heeded them, and the people replied to the king and said,

“What part have we with David?”

And, “There is no inheritance in the son of Jesse.

Everyone to your tents, O Israel.

Now you see to your own house, David.”

Then all Israel went to their tents. ¹⁷But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. ¹⁸Then when King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the tax, the sons of Israel stoned him, and he died, and King Rehoboam scrambled to board a carriage to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹So Israel revolted against the house of David, as it is up to this day.