Rebellion against Rehoboam
(1 Kings 12:1–15)

1  וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (And went) רְחַבְעָ֖ם (Rehoboam) שְׁכֶ֑מָה (to Shechem), כִּ֥י (for) שְׁכֶ֛ם (to Shechem) בָּ֥אוּ (had gone) כָל־ (all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Israel) לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ (to make king) אֹתֽוֹ׃ (him). 2  וַיְהִ֞י (And it came to pass), כִּשְׁמֹ֨עַ (heard it) יָרָבְעָ֤ם (Jeroboam) בֶּן־ (son) נְבָט֙ (of Nebat), וְה֣וּא (and he was) בְמִצְרַ֔יִם (in Egypt) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (because) בָּרַ֔ח (he had fled) מִפְּנֵ֖י (from the presence) שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה (of Solomon) הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (the king), וַיָּ֥שָׁב (that returned) יָרָבְעָ֖ם (Jeroboam) מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (from Egypt). 3  וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ (And they sent) וַיִּקְרְאוּ־ (and called him) ל֔וֹ (for him), וַיָּבֹ֥א (and came) יָרָבְעָ֖ם (Jeroboam) וְכָל־ (and all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Israel) וַֽיְדַבְּר֔וּ (and spoke) אֶל־ (to) רְחַבְעָ֖ם (Rehoboam), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying), 4  אָבִ֖יךָ (Your father) הִקְשָׁ֣ה (hardened) אֶת־ (-) עֻלֵּ֑נוּ (our yoke), וְעַתָּ֡ה (and now) הָקֵל֩ (lighten) מֵעֲבֹדַ֨ת (service) אָבִ֜יךָ (of your father) הַקָּשָׁ֗ה (the severe) וּמֵעֻלּ֧וֹ (and his yoke) הַכָּבֵ֛ד (heavy) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) נָתַ֥ן (he put) עָלֵ֖ינוּ (on us), וְנַֽעַבְדֶֽךָּ׃ (and we will serve you).

5  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And he said) אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (to them), ע֛וֹד (After) שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת (three) יָמִ֖ים (days) וְשׁ֣וּבוּ (and come back) אֵלָ֑י (to me). וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ (And departed) הָעָֽם׃ס (the people).

6  וַיִּוָּעַ֞ץ (And counseled) הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (King) רְחַבְעָ֗ם (Rehoboam) אֶת־ (with) הַזְּקֵנִים֙ (the elders) אֲשֶׁר־ (who) הָי֣וּ (had) עֹֽמְדִ֗ים (stood) לִפְנֵי֙ (before) שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה (Solomon) אָבִ֔יו (his father) בִּֽהְיֹת֥וֹ (in his being) חַ֖י (alive), לֵאמֹ֑ר (saying), אֵ֚יךְ (How) אַתֶּ֣ם (you⁺) נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים (do counsel) לְהָשִׁ֥יב (to) לָֽעָם־ (the people) הַזֶּ֖ה (this)? דָּבָֽר׃ (Answer).

7  וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ (And they spoke) אֵלָ֜יו (to him) לֵאמֹ֗ר (saying), אִם־ (If) תִּֽהְיֶ֨ה (you are) לְט֜וֹב (kind) לְהָעָ֤ם (to the people) הַזֶּה֙ (this), וּרְצִיתָ֔ם (and please them) וְדִבַּרְתָּ֥ (and speak) אֲלֵהֶ֖ם (to them) דְּבָרִ֣ים (words) טוֹבִ֑ים (good), וְהָי֥וּ (and they will be) לְךָ֛ (to you) עֲבָדִ֖ים (servants) כָּל־ (all) הַיָּמִֽים׃ (the days).

8  וַֽיַּעֲזֹ֛ב (And he rejected) אֶת־ (-) עֲצַ֥ת (the counsel) הַזְּקֵנִ֖ים (the elders) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) יְעָצֻ֑הוּ (had counseled him), וַיִּוָּעַ֗ץ (and he counseled) אֶת־ (with) הַיְלָדִים֙ (the young men) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) גָּדְל֣וּ (had grown up) אִתּ֔וֹ (with him), הָעֹמְדִ֖ים (those standing) לְפָנָֽיו׃ (before him). 9  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And he said) אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (to them), מָ֚ה (What) אַתֶּ֣ם (you⁺) נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים (do counsel), וְנָשִׁ֥יב (and how should we) דָּבָ֖ר (answer) אֶת־ (-) הָעָ֣ם (the people) הַזֶּ֑ה (this) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (who) דִּבְּר֤וּ (have spoken) אֵלַי֙ (to me) לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), הָקֵל֙ (Lighten) מִן־ (from) הָעֹ֔ל (of the yoke) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) נָתַ֥ן (gave) אָבִ֖יךָ (your father) עָלֵֽינוּ׃ (to us).

10  וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ (And spoke) אִתּ֗וֹ (to him) הַיְלָדִים֙ (the young men) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (who) גָּדְל֣וּ (had grown up) אִתּוֹ֮ (with him), לֵאמֹר֒ (saying), כֹּֽה־ (Thus) תֹאמַ֡ר (you should speak) לָעָם֩ (to the people) אֲשֶׁר־ (who) דִּבְּר֨וּ (have spoken) אֵלֶ֜יךָ (to you) לֵאמֹ֗ר (saying), אָבִ֙יךָ֙ (Your father) הִכְבִּ֣יד (made heavy) אֶת־ (-) עֻלֵּ֔נוּ (our yoke) וְאַתָּ֖ה (and you) הָקֵ֣ל (make it lighter) מֵעָלֵ֑ינוּ (on us)’ כֹּ֚ה (thus) תֹּאמַ֣ר (you shall say) אֲלֵהֶ֔ם (to them), קָֽטָנִּ֥י (My little finger) עָבָ֖ה (is thicker) מִמָּתְנֵ֥י (than the loins) אָבִֽי׃ (of my father). 11  וְעַתָּ֗ה (And now) אָבִי֙ (my father) הֶעְמִ֤יס (loaded) עֲלֵיכֶם֙ (on you⁺) עֹ֣ל (a yoke) כָּבֵ֔ד (heavy), וַאֲנִ֖י (and I) אֹסִ֣יף (will add) עַֽל־ (to) עֻלְּכֶ֑ם (your⁺ yoke); אָבִ֗י (my father) יִסַּ֤ר (chastised) אֶתְכֶם֙ (you⁺) בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים (with whips), וַאֲנִ֖י (and I) בָּֽעֲקְרַבִּֽים׃ס (with scorpions).

12  וַיָּבֹ֨א (And came) יָרָבְעָ֧ם (Jeroboam) וְכָל־ (and all) הָעָ֛ם (the people) אֶל־ (to) רְחַבְעָ֖ם (Rehoboam) בַּיּ֣וֹם (on the day) הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֑י (third), כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (as) דִּבֶּ֤ר (had directed) הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (the king), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), שׁ֥וּבוּ (Come back) אֵלַ֖י (to me) בַּיּ֥וֹם (the day) הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁי׃ (third). 13  וַיַּעֲנֵ֥ם (And answered them) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (the king) קָשָׁ֑ה (harshly), וַֽיַּעֲזֹב֙ (and rejected) הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (King) רְחַבְעָ֔ם (Rehoboam) אֵ֖ת (-) עֲצַ֥ת (the counsel) הַזְּקֵנִֽים׃ (of the elders), 14  וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (and he spoke) אֲלֵהֶ֗ם (to them) כַּעֲצַ֤ת (according to the counsel) הַיְלָדִים֙ (of the young men), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), אַכְבִּיד֙ (I made heavy) אֶֽת־ (-) עֻלְּכֶ֔ם (your⁺ yoke) וַאֲנִ֖י (and I) אֹסִ֣יף (will add) עָלָ֑יו (to it); אָבִ֗י (my father) יִסַּ֤ר (chastised) אֶתְכֶם֙ (you⁺) בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים (with whips), וַאֲנִ֖י (and I) בָּעֲקְרַבִּֽים׃ (with scorpions).

15  וְלֹֽא־ (And not) שָׁמַ֥ע (did listen) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (the king) אֶל־ (to) הָעָ֑ם (the people), כִּֽי־ (for) הָיְתָ֤ה (was) נְסִבָּה֙ (the turning) מֵעִ֣ם (from) הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (God), לְמַעַן֩ (that) הָקִ֨ים (might fulfill) יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) אֶת־ (-) דְּבָר֗וֹ (His word) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (that) דִּבֶּר֙ (He had spoken) בְּיַד֙ (by the hand) אֲחִיָּ֣הוּ (of Ahijah) הַשִּֽׁלוֹנִ֔י (the Shilonite) אֶל־ (to) יָרָבְעָ֖ם (Jeroboam) בֶּן־ (son) נְבָֽט׃ (of Nebat).

The Kingdom Divided
(1 Kings 12:16–19)

16  וְכָל־ (And all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (Israel) כִּ֠י (that) לֹא־ (not) שָׁמַ֣ע (having listened) הַמֶּלֶךְ֮ (the king) לָהֶם֒ (to them), וַיָּשִׁ֣יבוּ (and answered) הָעָ֣ם (the people) אֶת־ (-) הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ׀ (the king), לֵאמֹ֡ר (saying),

מַה־ (What) לָּנוּ֩ (to us) חֵ֨לֶק (portion is) בְּדָוִ֜יד (in David)—

וְלֹֽא־ (and we have no) נַחֲלָ֣ה (inheritance) בְּבֶן־ (in son) יִשַׁ֗י (of Jesse)?

אִ֤ישׁ (Every man) לְאֹהָלֶ֙יךָ֙ (to your tents), יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (O Israel),

עַתָּ֕ה (now), רְאֵ֥ה (look) בֵיתְךָ֖ (to your own house), דָּוִ֑יד (O David).

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (And departed) כָּל־ (all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Israel) לְאֹהָלָֽיו׃ס (to their tents). 17  וּבְנֵ֣י (And the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel) הַיֹּֽשְׁבִ֖ים (dwelt) בְּעָרֵ֣י (in the cities) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah), וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ (and reigned) עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (over them) רְחַבְעָֽם׃ (Rehoboam).

18  וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח (And sent) הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (King) רְחַבְעָ֗ם (Rehoboam) אֶת־ (-) הֲדֹרָם֙ (Hadoram) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) עַל־ (was over) הַמַּ֔ס (and forced labor), וַיִּרְגְּמוּ־ (and stoned) ב֧וֹ (him) בְנֵֽי־ (the sons) יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל (of Israel) אֶ֖בֶן (with stones), וַיָּמֹ֑ת (and he died). וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ (And King) רְחַבְעָ֗ם (Rehoboam) הִתְאַמֵּץ֙ (mounted) לַֽעֲל֣וֹת (in haste) בַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֔ה (into a chariot) לָנ֖וּס (to flee) יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ס (to Jerusalem). 19  וַיִּפְשְׁע֤וּ (And has been in rebellion) יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (Israel) בְּבֵ֣ית (against the house) דָּוִ֔יד (of David) עַ֖ד (to) הַיּ֥וֹם (the day) הַזֶּֽה׃ס (this).