I Kings 12 · מלכים א

And Reĥav῾am went to Shekhem: for all Yisra᾽el were come to Shekhem, to make him king.

And it came to pass, when Yorov῾am, the son of Nevat, who was yet in Miżrayim, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Shelomo, and Yorav῾am dwelt in Miżrayim;)

that they sent and called him. And Yorov῾am and all the congregation of Yisra᾽el came, and spoke to Reĥav῾am, saying,

Thy father made our yoke hard: now therefore make thou the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

And he said unto them, Depart for three more days, then come back to me.

And the people departed. And king Reĥav῾am consulted with the old men, that stood before Shelomo his father while he yet lived, and said, How do you advise that I answer this people?

And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant to this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words of them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that had grown up with him, and who stood before him:

and he said to them, What counsel give you that we answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make lighter the yoke which thy father did put upon us?

And the young men that had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak to this people that spoke to thee, saying,

Thy father made our yoke heavy, but thou make it lighter to us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did burden you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So Yorov῾am and all the people came to Reĥav῾am the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel that the old men had counselled him;

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 chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So that the king hearkened not to the people; for it was so brought about from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spoke by Aĥiyya the Shiloni to Yorov῾am the son of Nevat.

So when all Yisra᾽el saw that the king hearkened not to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Yishay: to your tents, O Yisra᾽el: now see to thy own house, David. So Yisra᾽el departed to their tents.

But as for the children of Yisra᾽el who dwelt in the cities of Yehuda, Reĥav῾am reigned over them.

Then king Reĥav῾am sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Yisra᾽el stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Reĥav῾am made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Yerushalayim.

So Yisra᾽el rebelled against the house of David to this day.

And it came to pass, when all Yisra᾽el heard that Yorov῾am was come back, that they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Yisra᾽el, there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Yehuda only.

And when Reĥav῾am was come to Yerushalayim, he assembled all the house of Yehuda, with the tribe of Binyamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Yisra᾽el, to bring kingdom again to Reĥav῾am the son of Shelomo.

But the word of God came to Shema῾ya, the man of God, saying,

Speak to Reĥav῾am the son of Shelomo, king of Yehuda, and to all the house of Yehuda, and Binyamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Yisra᾽el: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and turned and went their way, according to the word of the Lord.

Then Yorov῾am built Shekhem in mount Efrayim, and dwelt there; and went out from there, and built Penu᾽el.

And Yorov῾am said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Yerushalayim, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, namely to Reĥav῾am king of Yehuda, and they shall kill me, and go back to Reĥav῾am king of Yehuda.

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim; behold thy gods, O Yisra᾽el, who brought thee up out of the land of Miżrayim.

And he set the one in Bet-el, and the other put he in Dan.

And this thing became a sin: for the people went as far as Dan, to worship before that one.

And he made a house of high places, and made priests from all ranks of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

And Yorov῾am ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Yehuda, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bet-el, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and in Bet-el he placed the priests of the high places which he had made.

So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bet-el on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast to the children of Yisra᾽el: and he went up to the altar to burn incense.