1Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
3They sent for him and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4“Your father made our forced labor severe. Now, if you make the difficult service your father demanded and the heavy burden he placed on us lighter, we will serve you.”
5He told them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people left.
6King Rehoboam consulted with the older men who had served his father Solomon while he was alive. He asked, “What advice do you give me about how to answer these people?”
7They told him, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
8But Rehoboam ignored the advice the older men had given him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him.
9He asked them, “What advice do you give so we can answer these people who told me, ‘Make the burden your father placed on us lighter’?”
10The young men who had grown up with him replied, “Tell the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our burden heavy, but you make it lighter for us,’ this: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.’
11Now, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had requested, saying, “Come back to me on the third day.”
13The king answered them harshly; King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men,
14and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your burden heavy, but I will add to it. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”
15So the king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events was from God, so that Yahweh might fulfill his word, which he had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Go to your tents, Israel! Now, David, look after your own house!” So all Israel went to their tents.
17But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
18Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam quickly got into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
19So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.