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

⁶ And King Rehoboam talked with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he still lived, and said, How do you advise to return a word to this people?

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

⁸ But he left the counsel of the old men which they had advised him, and talked with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. ⁹ And he said to them, What advice do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father put on us?

¹⁰ And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, So shall you speak to this people who spoke to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us, so you shall say to them: My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. ¹¹ And now my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, and I will add to your yoke. My father has whipped you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.