2 Chronicles 13:7
New International Version
Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them.

New Living Translation
Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them.

English Standard Version
and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

Berean Standard Bible
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

King James Bible
And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

New King James Version
Then worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them.

New American Standard Bible
and worthless men gathered to him, wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

NASB 1995
and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

NASB 1977
and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

Legacy Standard Bible
and worthless men gathered about him, vile men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon; he was young and timid and could not exert his strength before them.

Amplified Bible
and worthless (unprincipled, unethical) men gathered around him, useless and wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and timid, and could not assert himself against them.

Christian Standard Bible
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.

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

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he gathered to himself wicked men, sons of evil, and he prevailed against Rekhabaam the son of Solomon, and Rekhabaam was a boy and a child of days and did not know what to say, and he did not comfort the people about the bondage to which Solomon his father had subjected them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Roboam the son of Solomon, while Roboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not.

Contemporary English Version
Then right after Rehoboam became king, you and your bunch of worthless followers challenged Rehoboam, who was too young to know how to stop you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And there were gathered to him vain men, and children of Belial: and they prevailed against Roboam the son of Solomon: for Roboam was unexperienced, and of a fearful heart, and could not resist them.

English Revised Version
And there were gathered unto him vain men, sons of Belial, which strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Worthless, good-for-nothing men gathered around him. They opposed Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was too young and inexperienced to challenge them.

Good News Translation
Later he gathered together a group of worthless scoundrels, and they forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too young and inexperienced to resist them.

International Standard Version
Useless troublemakers soon gathered around him, who turned out to be too strong for Rehoboam, because he was young, timid, and unable to withstand them.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And vain men are gathered to him, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and has not strengthened himself against them.

Majority Standard Bible
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

New American Bible
Worthless men, scoundrels, joined him and overcame Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced, and no match for them.

NET Bible
Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist them.

New Revised Standard Version
and certain worthless scoundrels gathered around him and defied Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

New Heart English Bible
There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and they have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

World English Bible
Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.

Young's Literal Translation
'And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath not strengthened himself against them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Civil War Against Jeroboam
6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them. 8And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 3:39
And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!"

2 Chronicles 12:13
Thus King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite.


Treasury of Scripture

And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

vain men

Judges 9:4
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

Judges 11:3
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

1 Samuel 22:2
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

the children of Belial

Deuteronomy 13:13
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

1 Kings 21:10,13
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die…

young

2 Chronicles 10:16
And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

2 Chronicles 12:13
So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty 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 an Ammonitess.

Ecclesiastes 10:16
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

could not

2 Chronicles 11:1-4
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam…

Jump to Previous
Able Base Belial Children Defied Enough Faint-Hearted Fellows Foolish Gathered Good-For-Nothing Heart Hold Joined ng Opposed Proved Rehoboam Rehobo'am Scoundrels Shew Solomon Strengthen Strengthened Strong Tender Tenderhearted Tender-Hearted Themselves Timid Vain Withstand Worthless Worthlessness Young Youth
Jump to Next
Able Base Belial Children Defied Enough Faint-Hearted Fellows Foolish Gathered Good-For-Nothing Heart Hold Joined ng Opposed Proved Rehoboam Rehobo'am Scoundrels Shew Solomon Strengthen Strengthened Strong Tender Tenderhearted Tender-Hearted Themselves Timid Vain Withstand Worthless Worthlessness Young Youth
2 Chronicles 13
1. Abijah succeeding makes war against Jeroboam
4. he declares the right of his cause
13. Trusting in God, he overcomes Jeroboam
21. The wives and children of Abijah














(7) And there are gathered.--Omit are.

Vain men (r?qim, Judges 9:4; Judges 11:3).--Said of the followers of Abimelech and the freebooter Jephthah. Neither this nor the following phrase, "the children of Belial" (literally, sons of worthlessness, i.e., men of low character and estimation) occurs again in the Chronicles. (See Judges 19:22; Judges 20:13; 1Kings 21:10; 1Kings 21:13, for the latter.) . . .

Verse 7. - Are gathered... have strengthened themselves. The aorist tense is needed for the rendering in both these cases; e.g. "And vain men gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against him." Vain men; Hebrew, רֵקִים. This word, and one very slightly different in form, and their adverb, occur in all forty-one times; rendered in the Authorized Version "empty" nineteen times, "vain" eighteen times, and "without cause," "to no purpose," and "void" the remaining four times. It is the word that is used of the "empty" pit of Joseph (Genesis 37:24); of the "empty ears" of corn (Genesis 41:27); of "empty" pitchers and other vessels (Judges 7:16; 2 Kings 4:3; Jeremiah 14:3; Jeremiah 51:34; Ezekiel 24:11). And in all the other cases expresses metaphorically the emptiness of head, of heart, or of reason, with the same simple force of language appropriate, it appears, then as now. Children of Belial; Hebrew, בְלִיַּעַל. This word is found twenty-seven times, and, including seven marginal options, is rendered in the Authorized Version "Belial" twenty-three times; the four exceptions being "wicked" three times, and "naughty" once. The derivation of it marks the one expressive meaning of "without profit." Young and tender-hearted. Hard as it is to put these objections to the credit of a man forty-one years of age (see our note, 2 Chronicles 10:8; 2 Chronicles 12:13) at all, yet, if so, they can only be explained as some do explain them, of a blamable ignorance, inexperience, and instability.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then worthless
רֵקִים֙ (rê·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7386: Empty, worthless

and wicked
בְלִיַּ֔עַל (ḇə·lî·ya·‘al)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1100: Without profit, worthlessness, destruction, wickedness

men
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

gathered
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ (way·yiq·qā·ḇə·ṣū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6908: To gather, collect

around him
עָלָ֗יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to resist
וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ (way·yiṯ·’am·mə·ṣū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 553: To be stout, strong, bold, alert

Rehoboam
רְחַבְעָ֣ם (rə·ḥaḇ·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7346: Rehoboam -- 'a people are enlarged', a king of Judah

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Solomon
שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

when [he]
וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם (ū·rə·ḥaḇ·‘ām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7346: Rehoboam -- 'a people are enlarged', a king of Judah

was
הָ֤יָה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

young,
נַ֙עַר֙ (na·‘ar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

inexperienced,
וְרַךְ־ (wə·raḵ-)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7390: Tender, delicate, soft

and unable
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to resist
הִתְחַזַּ֖ק (hiṯ·ḥaz·zaq)
Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

them.
לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ (lip̄·nê·hem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 13:7 There were gathered to him worthless men (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 13:6
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