6. There were some older men who had helped Solomon make decisions when he was alive. So King Rehoboam asked these men what he should do. He said, “How do you think I should answer the people?”
7. They answered, “If you are like a servant to them today, they will sincerely serve you. If you speak kindly to them, they will always work for you.”
8. But Rehoboam did not listen to the advice from the older men. He asked the young men who were his friends.
9. Rehoboam asked them, “The people said, ‘Give us easier work than your father gave us.’ How do you think I should answer them? What should I tell them?”
10. Then the young men who grew up with him answered, “Those people came to you and said, ‘Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.’ So you should tell them, ‘My little finger is stronger than my father’s whole body.
11. My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you work much harder! My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with whips that have sharp metal tips.’”
12. Three days later, Jeroboam and all the people came back as Rehoboam had said.
13. King Rehoboam did not listen to the advice from the older men, and he was rude to the people.
14. He did what his friends told him to do and said, “My father forced you to work hard, but I will make you work much harder! My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with whips that have sharp metal tips.”
15. So the king did not do what the people wanted. The Lord caused this to happen. He did this in order to keep the promise he made to Jeroboam son of Nebat when he sent the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh to speak to him.
16. The Israelites saw that the new king refused to listen to them, so they said to him, “We are not part of David’s family are we? We don’t get any of Jesse’s land, do we? So, people of Israel, let’s go home and let David’s son rule his own people!” So the Israelites went home.
17. But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
18. A man named Adoniram was one of the men who directed the workers. King Rehoboam sent Adoniram to talk to the people, but the Israelites threw stones at him until he died. King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
19. So Israel rebelled against the family of David, and this is how things are even today.