1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

2 And it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it, where he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

3 And they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

4 Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he has put on us, and we will serve you.

5 So he said to them, Come back to me after three days. And the people departed.

6 And King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, How do you advise me to answer these people?

7 And they spoke to him, saying, If you are kind to the people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.

8 But he rejected the counsel which the elders had given 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 had put on us?

10 And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us; thus you shall say to them: My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins!

11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, Come back to me the third day.

13 And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders,

14 and he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!

15 So the king did not consent to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that Jehovah might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not consent to them, the people answered the king, saying: What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David! And all Israel departed to their tents.

17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel dwelling in the cities of Judah.

18 And King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the labor force; but the sons of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. So King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.

19 Thus Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

1 Roboão foi a Siquém, onde todos os israelitas tinham se reunido para proclamá-lo rei.

2 Assim que Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, que estava no Egito fugindo do rei Salomão, soube disso, voltou de lá.

3 E mandaram chamá-lo. Então ele e todo o Israel foram ao encontro de Roboão e disseram:

4 "Teu pai colocou sobre nós um jugo pesado, mas agora diminui o trabalho árduo e este jugo pesado, e nós te serviremos".

5 Roboão respondeu: "Voltem a mim daqui a três dias". Então o povo foi embora.

6 O rei Roboão perguntou às autoridades que haviam servido ao seu pai Salomão durante a vida dele: "Como vocês me aconselham a responder a este povo? "

7 Eles responderam: "Se hoje fores bom para esse povo, se o agradares e lhe deres resposta favorável, eles sempre serão teus servos".

8 Roboão, contudo, rejeitou o conselho que as autoridades de Israel lhe tinham dado e consultou os jovens que haviam crescido com ele e o estavam servindo.

9 Perguntou-lhes: "Qual é o conselho de vocês? Como devemos responder a este povo que me diz: ‘Diminui o jugo que teu pai colocou sobre nós’? "

10 Os jovens que haviam crescido com ele responderam: "A este povo que te disse: ‘Teu pai colocou sobre nós um jugo pesado; torna-o mais leve’ — dize: ‘Meu dedo mínimo é mais grosso do que a cintura do meu pai.

11 Pois bem, meu pai lhes impôs um jugo pesado; eu o tornarei ainda mais pesado. Meu pai os castigou com simples chicotes; eu os castigarei com chicotes pontiagudos’ ".

12 Três dias depois, Jeroboão e todo o povo voltaram a Roboão, segundo a orientação dada pelo rei: "Voltem a mim daqui a três dias".

13 Mas o rei lhes respondeu asperamente. Rejeitando o conselho das autoridades de Israel,

14 seguiu o conselho dos jovens e disse: "Meu pai lhes tornou pesado o jugo; eu o tornarei ainda mais pesado. Meu pai os castigou com simples chicotes; eu os castigarei com chicotes pontiagudos".

15 E o rei não ouviu o povo, pois esta mudança nos acontecimentos vinha da parte de Deus, para que se cumprisse a palavra que o Senhor havia falado a Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, por meio do silonita Aías.

16 Quando todo o Israel viu que o rei se recusava a ouvi-los, responderam ao rei: "Que temos em comum com Davi? Que temos em comum com o filho de Jessé? Para as suas tendas, ó Israel! Cuide da sua própria casa, ó Davi! " E assim os israelitas foram para as suas casas.

17 Quanto, porém, aos israelitas que moravam nas cidades de Judá, Roboão continuou como rei deles.

18 O rei Roboão enviou Adonirão, chefe de trabalhos forçados, mas todo o Israel o apedrejou até à morte. O rei, contudo, conseguiu subir em sua carruagem e fugir para Jerusalém.

19 Desta forma Israel se rebelou contra a dinastia de Davi, e assim permanece até hoje.