1 Kings 12:6-11 - Rehoboam Seeks Counsel To Respond

⁶ And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye to me to return an answer to this people?

⁷ And they spoke to him, saying, If thou will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.

⁸ But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that grew up with him, who stood before him. ⁹ And he said to them, What counsel give ye, that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father put upon us lighter?

¹⁰ And the young men that grew up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus shall thou say to this people that spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter to us; thus shall thou speak to them, My little f ¹¹ And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.