The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And he said unto them: 'Come again unto me after three days.' And the people departed.

And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying: 'What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?'

And they spoke unto him, saying: 'If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.'

But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him.

And he said unto them: 'What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying: Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?'

And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spoke unto thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them: My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

And now whereas my father did lade 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 the third day, as the king bade, saying: 'Come to me again the third day.'

And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'

So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was brought about of God, that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David.' So all Israel departed unto their tents.

But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the levy; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam.

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying:

'Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying:

Thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren; return every man to his house, for this thing is of Me.' So they hearkened unto the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

He built even Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adullam,

and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and oil and wine.

And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And Judah and Benjamin adhered to him.

And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel presented themselves to him out of all their border.

For the Levites left their open land and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priest's office unto the LORD;

and he appointed him priests for the high places, and for the satyrs, and for the calves which he had made.

And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the LORD, the God of their fathers.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.

And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

and she bore him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham.

And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines — for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begot twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters.

And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, even the prince among his brethren; for he was minded to make him king.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city; and he gave them victual in abundance. And he sought for them many wives.

And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had dealt treacherously with the LORD,

with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen; and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came unto Jerusalem.

Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them: 'Thus saith the LORD: Ye have forsaken Me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'

Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they 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; 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 My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.'

So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all away; he took away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, that kept the door of the king's house.

And it was so, that as oft as the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and moreover in Judah there were good things found.

So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek the LORD.

Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

Three years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valour.

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said: 'Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel;

ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

And there were gathered unto him vain men, base fellows that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted, and could not withstand them.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

Have ye not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same becometh a priest of them that are no gods.

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work;

and they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken Him.

And, behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.'

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD, the God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD smote him, and he died.

But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead; in his days the land was quiet ten years.

And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God;

for he took away the strange altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim;

and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.

And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.

For he said unto Judah: 'Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered.

And Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand; all these were mighty men of valour.

And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah.

Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephath at Mareshah.

And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said: 'LORD, there is none beside Thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength; help us, O LORD our God; for we rely on Thee, and in Thy name are we come against this multitude. Thou art the LORD our God; let not man prevail against Thee.'

So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar; and there fell of the Ethiopians so that none remained alive; for they were shattered before the LORD, and before His host; and they carried away very much booty.

And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for a terror from the LORD came upon them; and they spoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them.

They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

And the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded;

and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him: 'Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you, while ye are with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Now for long seasons Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;

but when in their distress they turned unto the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found of them.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great discomfitures were upon all the inhabitants of the lands.

And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God did discomfit them with all manner of adversity.

But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded.'

And when Asa heard these words, even the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the detestable things out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and them that sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon; for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.