13. And the king answered the people roughly and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him
14. and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15. Therefore, the king did not hearken unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord, to confirm his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
16. So when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? There is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17. But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
18. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute, but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Then King Rehoboam made speed to get into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.
19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation and made him king over all Israel; there were none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men of war, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
22. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah, the man of God, saying,
23. Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the remnant of the people, saying,
24. Thus hath the Lord said, Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren, the sons of Israel; return each one to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearkened, therefore, to the word of the Lord and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.
25. And Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt therein, and going out from there, rebuilt Penuel.
26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David
27. if this people go up to sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem; for the heart of this people shall turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam, king of Judah.
28. And having taken counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said unto the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
29. And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan.
30. And this became an occasion for sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31. And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32. Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.