וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֖ם שְׁכֶ֑מָה כִּ֥י שְׁכֶ֛ם בָּ֥אוּ כׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ אֹתֽוֹ׃ aCf. 1 Kings 12.1–19.Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to acclaim him king.
וַיְהִ֞י כִּשְׁמֹ֨עַ יָרׇבְעָ֤ם בֶּן־נְבָט֙ וְה֣וּא בְמִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּרַ֔ח מִפְּנֵ֖י שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שׇׁב יָרׇבְעָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ Jeroboam son of Nebat learned of it while he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon, and Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ל֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥א יָרׇבְעָ֖ם וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיְדַבְּר֔וּ אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃ They sent for him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam as follows:
אָבִ֖יךָ הִקְשָׁ֣ה אֶת־עֻלֵּ֑נוּ וְעַתָּ֡ה הָקֵל֩ מֵעֲבוֹדַ֨ת אָבִ֜יךָ הַקָּשָׁ֗ה וּמֵעֻלּ֧וֹ הַכָּבֵ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ וְנַעַבְדֶֽךָּ׃ “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke that your father laid on us, and we will serve you.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם ע֛וֹד שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים וְשׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלָ֑י וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ הָעָֽם׃ {ס} He answered them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.
וַיִּוָּעַ֞ץ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֗ם אֶת־הַזְּקֵנִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ עֹמְדִ֗ים לִפְנֵי֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה אָבִ֔יו בִּהְיֹת֥וֹ חַ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵ֚יךְ אַתֶּ֣ם נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים לְהָשִׁ֥יב לָעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה דָּבָֽר׃ King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had served during the lifetime of his father Solomon. He said, “What answer do you counsel to give these people?”
וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו לֵאמֹ֗ר אִם־תִּהְיֶ֨ה לְט֜וֹב לְהָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ וּרְצִיתָ֔ם וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם דְּבָרִ֣ים טוֹבִ֑ים וְהָי֥וּ לְךָ֛ עֲבָדִ֖ים כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ They answered him, “If you will be good to these people and appease them and speak to them with kind words, they will be your servants always.”
וַֽיַּעֲזֹ֛ב אֶת־עֲצַ֥ת הַזְּקֵנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְעָצֻ֑הוּ וַיִּוָּעַ֗ץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר גָּדְל֣וּ אִתּ֔וֹ הָעֹמְדִ֖ים לְפָנָֽיו׃ But he ignored the counsel that the elders gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם מָ֚ה אַתֶּ֣ם נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים וְנָשִׁ֥יב דָּבָ֖ר אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּר֤וּ אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָקֵל֙ מִן־הָעֹ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן אָבִ֖יךָ עָלֵֽינוּ׃ “What,” he asked, “do you counsel that we reply to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us’?”
וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ הַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר גָּדְל֣וּ אִתּוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ כֹּה־תֹאמַ֡ר לָעָם֩ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבְּר֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ לֵאמֹ֗ר אָבִ֙יךָ֙ הִכְבִּ֣יד אֶת־עֻלֵּ֔נוּ וְאַתָּ֖ה הָקֵ֣ל מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּ כֹּ֚ה תֹּאמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם קָֽטׇנִּ֥י עָבָ֖ה מִמׇּתְנֵ֥י אָבִֽי׃ And the young men who had grown up with him answered, “Speak thus to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us.’ Say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.
וְעַתָּ֗ה אָבִי֙ הֶעְמִ֤יס עֲלֵיכֶם֙ עֹ֣ל כָּבֵ֔ד וַאֲנִ֖י אֹסִ֣יף עַֽל־עֻלְּכֶ֑ם אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֤ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֖י בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃ {פ}
My father imposed a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I [will do so] with scorpions.’”
וַיָּבֹ֨א יָרׇבְעָ֧ם וְכׇל־הָעָ֛ם אֶל־רְחַבְעָ֖ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֑י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר שׁ֥וּבוּ אֵלַ֖י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁי׃ Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, since the king had told them, “Come back on the third day.”
וַיַּעֲנֵ֥ם הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ קָשָׁ֑ה וַֽיַּעֲזֹב֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֔ם אֵ֖ת עֲצַ֥ת הַזְּקֵנִֽים׃ The king answered them harshly; thus King Rehoboam ignored the elders’ counsel.
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם כַּעֲצַ֤ת הַיְלָדִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַכְבִּיד֙ אֶֽת־עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וַאֲנִ֖י אֹסִ֣יף עָלָ֑יו אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֤ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֖י בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים׃ He spoke to them in accordance with the counsel of the young men, and said, bSome mss. and printed editions read “my father made”; cf. 1 Kings 12.14.“I will make-b your yoke heavy, and I will add to it; my father flogged you with whips, but I [will do so] with scorpions.”
וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־הָעָ֑ם כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה נְסִבָּה֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים לְמַ֩עַן֩ הָקִ֨ים יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־דְּבָר֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֤ר דִּבֶּר֙ בְּיַד֙ אֲחִיָּ֣הוּ הַשִּׁלוֹנִ֔י אֶל־יָרׇבְעָ֖ם בֶּן־נְבָֽט׃ The king did not listen to the people, for God had brought it about in order that the LORD might fulfill the promise that He had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כִּ֠י לֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע הַמֶּ֘לֶךְ֮ לָהֶם֒ וַיָּשִׁ֣יבוּ הָעָ֣ם אֶת־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ׀ לֵאמֹ֡ר מַה־לָּ֩נוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק בְּדָוִ֜יד וְלֹא־נַחֲלָ֣ה בְּבֶן־יִשַׁ֗י אִ֤ישׁ לְאֹהָלֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַתָּ֕ה רְאֵ֥ה בֵיתְךָ֖ דָּוִ֑יד וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְאֹהָלָֽיו׃ {ס} When all Israel [saw] that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king:
“We have no portion in David,
No share in Jesse’s son!
To your tents, O Israel!
Now look to your own house, O David.”
So all Israel returned to their homes.cLit. “tents.”
וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בְּעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם רְחַבְעָֽם׃ But Rehoboam continued to reign over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֗ם אֶת־הֲדֹרָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַמַּ֔ס וַיִּרְגְּמוּ־ב֧וֹ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶ֖בֶן וַיָּמֹ֑ת {ס} וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֗ם הִתְאַמֵּץ֙ לַעֲל֣וֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה לָנ֖וּס יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס} King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites pelted him to death with stones. Thereupon, King Rehoboam hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
וַיִּפְשְׁע֤וּ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּבֵ֣ית דָּוִ֔יד עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ Israel has been in revolt against the house of David to this day.