Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it -- "for he still dwelt in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon -- "[he] returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, read more.
Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore lighten the hard service and the heavy yoke your father put upon us, and we will serve you. He replied, Go away for three days and then return to me. So the people departed. And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived and said, How do you advise me to answer this people? And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and answer them with good words, they will be your servants forever. But he forsook the counsel the old men gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and stood before him. He said to them, What do you advise that we answer this people who have said, Make the yoke your father put on us lighter? The young men who grew up with him answered, To the people who told you, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us -- "say this, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had appointed. And the king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel the old men had given him, And spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; he chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So the king did not hearken to the people, for the situation was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. So when all Israel saw that the king did not heed them, they answered the king, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David! So Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute [taskmaster over the forced labor], and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. So King Rehoboam hastened to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only.

The third day Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam as he had said. And the king answered them harshly, forsaking the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. read more.
So the king did not heed the people, for it was brought about of God, that the Lord might perform His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to and heed them, they answered [him], What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now, David [tribe of Judah], see to your own house [under your tyrant King Rehoboam]! So all Israel went to their homes. But as for the Israelites who dwelt in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. But King Rehoboam hastened to get up to his royal chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day.


And Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name [and the pledge of His presence] there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, Whom they provoked to jealousy with the sins they committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built themselves [idolatrous] high places, pillars, and Asherim [idolatrous symbols of the goddess Asherah] on every high hill and under every green tree. read more.
There were also sodomites (male cult prostitutes) in the land. They did all the abominations of the nations whom the Lord cast out before the Israelites. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt [Jeroboam's brother-in-law] came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house; he took away all, including all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made in their stead bronze shields and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards bore them and brought them back into the guardroom. The rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam (Abijah) his son reigned in his stead.

And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the remnant of the people, read more.
Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your brethren, the Israelites. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. So they hearkened to the Lord's word and returned home, according to the Lord's word.

But as for the Israelites who dwelt in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. But King Rehoboam hastened to get up to his royal chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. read more.
And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled of the house of Judah and Benjamin 180,000 chosen warriors to fight against [the ten rebellious tribes of] Israel to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. And they obeyed the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam. Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. He fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, with stores of food, oil, and vintage fruits. And in each city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin. And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel came over to Rehoboam from wherever they lived. For the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from executing the priest's office to the Lord. And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the [idols of demon] he-goats, and calves he had made. And after them out of all the tribes of Israel there came to Jerusalem those who set their hearts to seek and inquire of the Lord, the God of Israel, to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and upheld Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; for they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for three years. Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath, whose father was Jerimoth son of David; her mother was Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. She bore him sons: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maacah daughter [granddaughter] of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter [granddaughter] of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines -- "for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. And Rehoboam made Abijah son of Maacah the chief prince among his brethren, for he intended to make him king. And he dealt understandingly and dispersed his children throughout all Judah and Benjamin to every fortified city. He gave them abundant supplies, and he sought many wives for them. When Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. And in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had transgressed and been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen, and the people were without number who came with him from Egypt -- "the Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came on to Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus says the Lord: You have forsaken Me, so I have abandoned you into the hands of Shishak. Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, The Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless, they shall be his servants, that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house. He took everything. He took away also the shields of gold Solomon had made. Instead of them King Rehoboam made shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. And whenever the king entered the Lord's house, the guards came and got the shields of bronze and brought them again into the guard chamber. When Rehoboam humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him entirely; also in Judah conditions were good. So King Rehoboam established and strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city in which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His Name [and the symbol of His presence]. His mother was Naamah an Ammonitess. And he did evil because he did not set his heart to seek (inquire of, yearn for) the Lord with all his desire. Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer regarding genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel continually. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.


And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled of the house of Judah and Benjamin 180,000 chosen warriors to fight against [the ten rebellious tribes of] Israel to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, read more.
Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up or fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. And they obeyed the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.

So when all Israel saw that the king did not heed them, they answered the king, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David! So Israel went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites who dwelt in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute [taskmaster over the forced labor], and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. So King Rehoboam hastened to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. read more.
So Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the remnant of the people, Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your brethren, the Israelites. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me. So they hearkened to the Lord's word and returned home, according to the Lord's word.

And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to and heed them, they answered [him], What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now, David [tribe of Judah], see to your own house [under your tyrant King Rehoboam]! So all Israel went to their homes. But as for the Israelites who dwelt in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. But King Rehoboam hastened to get up to his royal chariot to flee to Jerusalem. read more.
And Israel has rebelled against the house of David to this day.