10. The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11. Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”
12. Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered.
13. But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors
14. and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”
15. So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the lord, for it fulfilled the lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
16. When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,“Down with the dynasty of David!We have no interest in the son of Jesse.Back to your homes, O Israel!Look out for your own house, O David!”So the people of Israel returned home.
17. But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
18. King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
19. And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
20. When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.
21. When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
22. But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,
23. “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
24. ‘This is what the lord says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the lord and went home, as the lord had commanded.
25. Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.
26. Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.
27. When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”
28. So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
29. He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom.
30. But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.