Open English Translation 2 CHR Chapter 10

10 Then Rehav’am (Rehoboam) went to Shekem, where all of Yisrael (Israel) had gathered for his coronation. 2 Meanwhile, Nevat’s son Yarov’am (Jeroboam) had fled from King Shelomoh (Solomon) and was down in Mitsrayim (Egypt), but when he heard about the coming coronation, he returned from Mitsrayim. 3 So the leaders of the northern tribes summoned Yarov’am, and he went with them to speak to Shelomoh’s son Rehav’am and all of Yisrael, saying, 4 “Your father made us work very hard, but now, lighten the demands that your father made on us, and we’ll serve you.”

5 “Come back to me in three days.” Rehav’am answered, so the people departed.

6 Then King Rehav’am consulted with the older men who’d advised his father Shelomoh when he was still alive, asking them, “How do you advise me to answer the people?”

7 “If you’re good to those people and do things that please them, and speak kindly to them,” they answered, “then they’ll serve you for a long time to come.”

8 However, Rehav’am rejected their advice, and consulted some of the young men there who’d grown up with him. 9 “How would you guys suggest I answer the people who’ve asked me to lighten the burden on them, compared to my father’s time?”

10 “Those people tell you that your father was hard on them and that you should lighten their load,” his contemporaries advised him. “But you should tell them that your little finger is thicker than your father’s waist, 11 and that whereas he required them to contribute, you’ll be even more demanding. Tell them that he might have whipped them with leather whips, but that you’ll whip them with scorpions!”

12 So Yarov’am (Jeroboam) and all the people returned to King Rehav’am on the third day as he’d prearranged, 13 and ignoring the advice of the older men, the king answered the people harshly. 14 He passed on the younger men’s suggestion, telling the people, “I’ll make your burden even heavier. My father rebuked you people with whips, but I’ll do it with scorpions.” 15 So the king took no notice of the people’s request, because it was God turning events around, so that what Yahweh had said to Yarov’am (Nevat’s son) through Ahiyah (from Shiloh) would come to pass.

16 When all the Israelis saw that the king hadn’t listened to them, the people from the northern tribes answered the king, “What did David have to do with us anyway? We had nothing to gain from Yishay’s (Jesse) son. You might as well all head home, and then they’ll see what happened to David’s dynasty.”[ref]

So they all went home, 17 and Rehav’am ended up only ruling over the Israelis living in the Yehudah (Judah) region.

18 King Rehav’am (still in Shekem) sent out Hadoram, his supervisor of the forced labourers, but the Israelis hurled stones at him and killed him. When he heard about that, King Rehav’am forced his way into his chariot and escaped to Yerushalem (Jerusalem), 19 and northern Yisrael (Israel) has rebelled against David’s descendants to this day.