2 Chronicles 10

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to proclaim him king.	1 Now Rehoboam set out for Shechem. For in that place all of Israel had convened, so that they might appoint him as king.
2 When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard of this in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon, he returned from Egypt.	2 But when Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (indeed he had fled to that place from Solomon) had heard it, he promptly returned.
3 Jeroboam was summoned to the assembly, and he and all Israel said to Rehoboam:	3 And they summoned him, and he arrived with all of Israel. And they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:
4 "Your father laid a heavy yoke upon us. If you now lighten the harsh service and the heavy yoke that your father imposed on us, we will serve you."	4 “Your father pressed upon us a very difficult yoke. You should govern us more lightly than your father, who imposed on us a heavy servitude, and so lift up some of the burden, so that we may serve you.”
5 "In three days," he answered them, "come back to me." When the people had departed,	5 But he said, “Return to me after three days.” And when the people had gone away,
6 King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had been in the service of his father during Solomon's lifetime, asking, "What answer do you advise me to give this people?"	6 he took counsel with the elders, who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still living, saying, “What counsel would you give to me, so that I may respond to the people?”
7 They replied, "If you will deal kindly with this people and give in to them, acceding to their request, they will be your servants forever."	7 And they said to him, “If you please this people, and if you soothe them with words of clemency, they will be your servants for all days.”
8 But he ignored the advice the elders had given him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service.	8 But he set aside the counsel of the elders, and he began to have discussion with the youth, who had been raised with him and who were among his companions.
9 He said to them, "What answer do you advise me to give this people, who have asked me to lighten the yoke my father imposed on them?"	9 And he said to them: “How does it seem to you? Or how should I respond to this people, who have said to me, ‘Lift up the yoke that your father imposed upon us?’ ”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied: "This is the answer you should give to this people who have said to you, 'Your father laid a heavy yoke upon us, but do you lighten our yoke'; this you should say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's body.	10 But they responded like youths, having been raised with him in luxury, and they said: “So shall you speak to the people, who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; you should lighten it,’ and so shall you respond to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will make it heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'"	11 My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, and I will place more weight upon it. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.’ ”
12 On the third day, Jeroboam and all the people came back to King Rehoboam as he had instructed them to do.	12 Then Jeroboam, and the entire people, went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as he had instructed them.
13 Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, the king gave them a harsh answer,	13 And the king responded harshly, abandoning the counsel of the elders.
14 speaking to them according to the advice of the young men: "My father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions."	14 And he spoke according to the will of the youths: “My father imposed a heavy yoke upon you, which I will make heavier. My father cut you with whips; truly, I will beat you with scorpions.”
15 The king would not listen to the people, for this turn of events was divinely ordained to fulfill the prophecy the LORD had uttered to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, through Ahijah the Shilonite.	15 And he did not acquiesce to the pleadings of the people. For it was the will of God that his word be fulfilled, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king. "What share have we in David? We have no heritage in the son of Jesse. Everyone to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!" So all Israel went off to their tents.	16 Then the entire people, speaking more harshly to the king, spoke to him in this way: “There is no portion for us in David, and there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Return to your dwellings, O Israel. Then you, O David, shall pasture your own house.” And Israel went away to their dwellings.
17 Rehoboam, therefore, reigned over only those Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.	17 But Rehoboam reigned over the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah.
18 King Rehoboam then sent out Hadoram, who was superintendent of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. Rehoboam himself managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.	18 And king Rehoboam sent Aduram, who was in charge of the tributes. And the sons of Israel stoned him, and he died. And so king Rehoboam hurried to climb into the chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem.
19 Thus Israel has been in rebellion against David's house to this day.	19 And Israel withdrew from the house of David, even to this day.