Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Israel sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said: Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us. We will serve you. He said to them: Come back the day after tomorrow. So the people left. read more.
King Rehoboam sought advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked: What do you advise? How should I respond to these people? They told him: If you are good to these people and try to please them by speaking gently to them, then they will always be your servants. He ignored the advice the elders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked: What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them? The young men who had grown up with him answered: This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body. If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.' So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. The king answered them harshly. He ignored the elder's advice. He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said: If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will use scorpions. The king refused to listen to the people because Jehovah was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam, Nebat's son through Ahijah from Shiloh. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king: What share do we have in David's kingdom? We will not receive an inheritance from Jesse's son. Everyone to his own tent, Israel! Now look after your own house, David! So all Israel went home to their tents.


Rehoboam went to Shechem. All the people of northern Israel gathered to make him king. Jeroboam son of Nebat went to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. When he heard this news he returned from Egypt. The people of the northern tribes sent for him. Then they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him: read more.
Your father Solomon treated us harshly and placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects. Come back in three days and I will give you my answer, he replied. So they left. Then King Rehoboam consulted elders who had been with Solomon his father when he was living. He said: In your opinion, what answer am I to give to these people? They said to him: If you will be a servant to this people today, caring for them and giving them a favorable answer, then they will be your servants for ever. But he paid no attention to the opinion of the elders. He went to the young men who were his advisors: What is your opinion? He asked: What answer are we to give to this people? They want me to lighten the burdens placed on them by my father. His young advisors said: This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying: 'Your father put a hard yoke on us; will you make it less?' Say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's body.' If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder! My father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.' So all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day just as the king ordered. The king gave them a harsh answer. He paid no attention to the suggestion of the elders. He gave them the answer suggested by the young advisors. He said: My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder! My father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes. The king did not listen to the people. This came about by Jehovah's purpose, so that what he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, might be fulfilled. When all Israel realized that the king would not respond to their request, the people in answer said to the king: What share do we have in David? What is our heritage in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel; now see to your people, David. So Israel went away to their tents. Rehoboam was still king over those of the children of Israel who were living in the towns of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the overseer of the forced work. He was stoned to death by all Israel. King Rehoboam went quickly and got into his carriage to escape to Jerusalem. Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they requested a meeting of the people. At that meeting they made him king over Israel. There was none who followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah.

Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. Jeroboam, Nebat's son, was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard about Rehoboam, he returned from Egypt. Israel sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said: read more.
Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us. We will serve you. He said to them: Come back the day after tomorrow. So the people left. King Rehoboam sought advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked: What do you advise? How should I respond to these people? They told him: If you are good to these people and try to please them by speaking gently to them, then they will always be your servants. He ignored the advice the elders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked: What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them? The young men who had grown up with him answered: This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body. If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.' So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. The king answered them harshly. He ignored the elder's advice. He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said: If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will use scorpions. The king refused to listen to the people because Jehovah was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam, Nebat's son through Ahijah from Shiloh. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king: What share do we have in David's kingdom? We will not receive an inheritance from Jesse's son. Everyone to his own tent, Israel! Now look after your own house, David! So all Israel went home to their tents.


Rehoboam went to Shechem. All the people of northern Israel gathered to make him king. Jeroboam son of Nebat went to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. When he heard this news he returned from Egypt. The people of the northern tribes sent for him. Then they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him: read more.
Your father Solomon treated us harshly and placed heavy burdens on us. If you make these burdens lighter and make life easier for us, we will be your loyal subjects. Come back in three days and I will give you my answer, he replied. So they left. Then King Rehoboam consulted elders who had been with Solomon his father when he was living. He said: In your opinion, what answer am I to give to these people? They said to him: If you will be a servant to this people today, caring for them and giving them a favorable answer, then they will be your servants for ever. But he paid no attention to the opinion of the elders. He went to the young men who were his advisors: What is your opinion? He asked: What answer are we to give to this people? They want me to lighten the burdens placed on them by my father. His young advisors said: This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying: 'Your father put a hard yoke on us; will you make it less?' Say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's body.' If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder! My father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.' So all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day just as the king ordered. The king gave them a harsh answer. He paid no attention to the suggestion of the elders. He gave them the answer suggested by the young advisors. He said: My father made your yoke hard, but I will make it harder! My father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give it with snakes. The king did not listen to the people. This came about by Jehovah's purpose, so that what he had said by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, might be fulfilled.

Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. Jeroboam, Nebat's son, was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard about Rehoboam, he returned from Egypt. Israel sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said: read more.
Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us. We will serve you. He said to them: Come back the day after tomorrow. So the people left. King Rehoboam sought advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked: What do you advise? How should I respond to these people? They told him: If you are good to these people and try to please them by speaking gently to them, then they will always be your servants. He ignored the advice the elders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked: What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them? The young men who had grown up with him answered: This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body. If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.' So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. The king answered them harshly. He ignored the elder's advice. He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said: If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will use scorpions. The king refused to listen to the people because Jehovah was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam, Nebat's son through Ahijah from Shiloh.


Rehoboam went to Shechem because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. Jeroboam, Nebat's son, was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard about Rehoboam, he returned from Egypt. Israel sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said: read more.
Your father made us carry a heavy burden. Reduce the hard work and lighten the heavy burden he put on us. We will serve you. He said to them: Come back the day after tomorrow. So the people left. King Rehoboam sought advice from the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked: What do you advise? How should I respond to these people? They told him: If you are good to these people and try to please them by speaking gently to them, then they will always be your servants. He ignored the advice the elders gave him. He sought advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked: What is your advice? How should we respond to these people who are asking me to lighten the burden my father put on them? The young men who had grown up with him answered: This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is heavier than my father's whole body. If my father put a heavy burden on you, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will punish you with scorpions.' So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them. The king answered them harshly. He ignored the elder's advice. He spoke to them as the young men advised. He said: If my father made your burden heavy, I will add to it. If my father punished you with whips, I will use scorpions. The king refused to listen to the people because Jehovah was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam, Nebat's son through Ahijah from Shiloh.

But he paid no attention to the opinion of the elders. He went to the young men who were his advisors: What is your opinion? He asked: What answer are we to give to this people? They want me to lighten the burdens placed on them by my father. His young advisors said: This is the answer to give to the people who came to you saying: 'Your father put a hard yoke on us; will you make it less?' Say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's body.' read more.
If my father put a hard yoke on you, I will make it harder! My father gave you punishment with whips, but I will give you blows with snakes.'