10. The young men who had grown up with him answered, “The people said to you, ‘Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.’ You should tell them, ‘My little finger is bigger than my father’s legs.
11. He 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 Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam.
13. King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them, because he had rejected the advice of the elders.
14. He followed the advice of the young men and said, “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.”
15. So the king did not listen to the people. God caused this to happen so that the Lord could keep the promise he had made to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh.
16. When all the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them, 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 all 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 forced labor. When Rehoboam sent him to the people, 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.