1. And Reḥaḇ‛am went to Sheḵem, for all Yisra’ĕl had gone to Sheḵem to set him up to reign.
2. And it came to be, when Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat heard this – he was still in Mitsrayim, for he had fled from the presence of Sovereign Shelomoh and had been dwelling in Mitsrayim –
3. that they sent and called him. And Yaroḇ‛am and all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl came and spoke to Reḥaḇ‛am, saying,
4. “Your father made our yoke hard, and now, lighten the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, then we serve you.”
5. And he said to them, “Go away for three days, then come back to me.” And the people went.
6. Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am consulted the elders who stood before his father Shelomoh while he still lived, and he said, “What do you advise me to answer these people?”
7. And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are a servant to these people today, and shall serve them, and shall answer them and speak good words to them, then they shall be your servants all the days.”
8. But he ignored the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9. And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10. And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Say this to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us.’ Say this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11. ‘And now, my father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I, I flog you with scourges!’ ”