Rehoboam's Debacle
2 Jeroboam, Nebat's son, was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. When he heard about Rehoboam, he returned from Egypt.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for (B)he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it—for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence—Jeroboam returned from Egypt.(B)
2 Nebat's son Jeroboam heard about it in Egypt, where he had fled to get away from Solomon the king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt
3 Israel sent for Jeroboam and invited him back. Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak to Rehoboam. They said:
3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying,
3 So they sent and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
3 So they summoned him. Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam:
3 after being summoned. When Jeroboam and all of Israel arrived, they spoke to Rehoboam,
4 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.
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
4 “Your father made our (C)yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
4 “Your father made our yoke difficult. Therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
4 "Your father made our burdens unbearable. Therefore you must lighten your father's requirements and his heavy burden that he placed on us, and we'll serve you."
5 He said to them: Come back the day after tomorrow. So the people left.
5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
5 He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.
5 Rehoboam replied, “Return to me in three days.” So the people left.
5 "Come back again in three days," Rehoboam told them. So the people left
6 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?
6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
6 Then King Rehoboam (D)consulted with the elders who had (a)served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to these people?”
6 while King Rehoboam conferred with his advisors who had worked with his father Solomon during his administration. He asked them, "What is your advice as to what response I should return to these people?"
7 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.
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and (E)speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
7 In reply, they told him, "If you will be kind to this people, please them, and speak appropriately to them with kind words, they'll serve you forever."
8 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.
8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
8 But he (F)forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him (b)and served him.
8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him, and he consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, the ones serving him.
8 But Rehoboam ignored the counsel that his elder advisors had given him. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him and worked for him.
9 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?
9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
9 So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
9 He asked them, “What message do you advise we send back to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
9 As a result, he asked them, "What's your advice, so we can give an answer to these people who have asked me, "Please lighten the burden that your father put on us'?"
10 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.
10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should say to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.(a)
10 "This is what you should tell the people who asked you: "Your father made our burden heavy, but you must make it lighter for us!'" the young men who had grown up with Rehoboam replied. "Tell them "My little finger will be thicker than my father's whole body!
11 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.'
11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
11 Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
11 Now therefore, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.’”(b)
11 Not only that, but since my father loaded you down heavily, I'm going to add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I'm going to do so with scorpions!'"
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came back to Rehoboam two days later, as the king had instructed them.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had (c)directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people went back to Rehoboam on the third day, just as they had been directed when the king said, "Come back again in three days."
13 The king answered them harshly. He ignored the elder's advice.
13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
13 The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the elders.
13 Then the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice
13 But the king answered them strictly and ignored the counsel of his elders.
14 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.
14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
14 He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “(d)My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy,(c)(C) but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I, with barbed whips.”(d)
14 Instead, Rehoboam spoke to them along the lines of what the younger men suggested. He told them, "My father burdened you heavily, but I will add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I will, too with scorpions!"
15 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.
15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
15 So the king did not listen to the people, (G)for it was a turn of events from God (H)that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
15 The king did not listen to the people because the turn of events came from God,(D) in order that the Lord might carry out His word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.(E)
15 The king would not listen to the people because the turn of events was from God, so that the LORD might fulfill his prediction that he spoke through Nebat's son Ahijah the Shilonite.
16 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.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them the people answered the king, saying,“(I)What portion do we have in David?We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.Every man to your tents, O Israel;Now look after your own house, David.”(J)So all Israel departed to their tents.
16 When(F) all Israel saw(e)(G) that the king had not listened to them, the people answered the king:What portion do we have in David?We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.Israel, each man to your tent;David, look after your own house now!So all Israel went to their tents.
16 All of Israel since the king wasn't going to listen to them the people responded to the king, "What's the point in following David? We have no inheritance in the descendants of Jesse. Let's go home, Israel! David, take care of your own household!" So all of Israel left for home.
17 Rehoboam ruled the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
17 But as for the Israelites living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
17 And so Rehoboam ruled over the Israelis who lived in the cities of Judah.
18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to the Israelites. He was in charge of forced labor, but they stoned him to death. So King Rehoboam got on his chariot as fast as he could and fled to Jerusalem.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was (K)over the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him (e)to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,(f)(H) who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. However, King Rehoboam managed to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of conscripted labor, but the Israelis stoned him to death, and King Rehoboam had to jump in his chariot and flee back in a hurry to Jerusalem.