4. “Your father forced us to work very hard. Now, make it easier for us. Don’t make us work as hard as your father did. Then we will serve you.”
5. Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days. Then I will answer you.” So the people left.
6. Some of the elders had helped Solomon make decisions during his lifetime. So King Rehoboam asked them what he should do. He said, “How do you think I should answer these people?”
7. They answered, “You should be like a servant to them today. Serve them, and give them a kind answer. If you do, they will serve you always.”
8. But Rehoboam did not listen to this advice. He asked the young men who had grown up with him. They advised him in making decisions.
9. Rehoboam said, “The people said, ‘Don’t make us work as hard as your father did.’ How do you think I should answer them? What is your advice?”
10. The young men answered, “Those people came to you and said, ‘Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.’ So you should tell them, ‘My little finger is bigger than my father’s whole body.
11. My father forced you to work hard. But I will make you work even harder! My father beat you with whips. But I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.’”
12. Rehoboam had told the people, “Come back to me in three days.” So after three days all the people returned to Rehoboam.
13. At that time King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them. He did not listen to the advice that the elders had given him.
14. He did what the young men had told him to do. Rehoboam said, “My father forced you to work hard. So I will give you even more work. My father beat you with whips. But I will beat you with whips that have sharp points.”
15. So the king did not do what the people wanted. The Lord caused this to happen. He did this to keep the promise he had made to Jeroboam son of Nebat. He had made this promise through Ahijah, the prophet from Shiloh.
16. All the people of Israel saw that the new king refused to listen to them. So they said to the king,“We have no share in David!We have no part in the son of Jesse!People of Israel, let’s go to our own homes!Let David’s son rule his own people!”So the Israelites went home.
17. But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18. Adoniram was in charge of the people who were forced to work. King Rehoboam sent him to the people. But they threw stones at him until he died. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
19. Since then, Israel has been against the family of David.
20. All the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned. So they called him to a meeting. And they made him king over all Israel. But the tribe of Judah continued to follow the family of David.