1 Kings
1 Kings 12
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1 Kings 12 — Scripture text (King James Version)
And went to : for all were come to to make him king. And it came to pass, when the son of , who was yet in , heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king , and dwelt in ;) That they sent and called him. And and all the congregation of came, and spake unto , saying, Thy father made our grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy which he upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. And king consulted with the old men, that stood before his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer 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 consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the which thy father did upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy , I will add to your : my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. So and all the people came to the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your heavy, and I will add to your : my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by the unto the son of . So when all saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in ? neither have we inheritance in the son of : to your tents, O : now see to thine own house, . So departed unto their tents. But as for the children of which dwelt in the cities of , reigned over them. Then king sent , who was over the tribute; and all stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king made speed to get him up to his , to flee to . So rebelled against the house of unto this day. And it came to pass, when all heard that was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all : there was none that followed the house of , but the tribe of only. And when was come to , he assembled all the house of , with the tribe of , an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of , to bring the kingdom again to the son of . But of God came unto the man of God, saying, Speak unto , the son of , king of , and unto all the house of and , and to the of the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of : return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to of the LORD. Then built in mount , and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built . And said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of : If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at , then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto king of , and they shall kill me, and go again to king of . Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to : behold thy gods, O , which brought thee up out of the land of . And he set the one in , and the other he in . And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto . And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of . And ordained a feast in the eighth month, the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in , and he offered upon the altar. So did he in , sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of : and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.