2 Chronicles 10

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Rehoboam then went to Shechem, al Israel having come to Shechem to proclaim him king.	1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to proclaim him king.
2 As soon as Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news -- he was in Egypt, where he had taken refugefrom King Solomon -- he returned from Egypt.	2 When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard of this in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon, he returned from Egypt.
3 They now sent for him, so Jeroboam and al Israel came and spoke as fol ows to Rehoboam,	3 Jeroboam was summoned to the assembly, and he and all Israel said to Rehoboam:
4 'Your father laid a cruel yoke on us; if you wil lighten your father's cruel slavery, that heavy yoke whichhe imposed on us, we are wil ing to serve you.'	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."
5 He said to them, 'Come back to me in three days' time.' And the people went away.	5 "In three days," he answered them, "come back to me." When the people had departed,
6 King Rehoboam then consulted the elders, who had been in attendance on his father Solomon whilehe was alive, and said, 'How do you advise me to answer this people?'	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?"
7 They replied, 'If you are fair to these people, pleasant to them and give them a fair reply, they wilremain your servants for ever.'	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."
8 But he rejected the advice given him by the elders and consulted the young men in attendance onhim, who had grown up with him.	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.
9 He said, 'How do you advise us to answer these people who have been saying, "Lighten the yokewhich your father imposed on us"?'	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?"
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, 'This is the way to answer the people who havebeen saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy, you must lighten it for us!" This is the right thing to say to them,"My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!	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.
11 Although my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I shal make it heavier stil ! My father controlled youwith the whip, but I shal apply a spiked lash!" '	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!'"
12 On the third day, Jeroboam and al the people came to Rehoboam in obedience to the king'sinstructions, 'Come back to me in three days' time.'	12 On the third day, Jeroboam and all the people came back to King Rehoboam as he had instructed them to do.
13 And the king gave them a harsh answer. King Rehoboam, rejecting the advice of the elders,	13 Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, the king gave them a harsh answer,
14 spoke to them as the young men had recommended, 'My father made your yoke heavy, but I shaladd to it. My father control ed you with the whip, but I shal apply a spiked lash.'	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."
15 Thus the king refused to listen to the people, and this was brought about by God, so that Yahwehmight fulfil the promise which he had made through Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam son of Nebat.	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.
16 When al Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king thus: Whatshare have we in David? -no heritage in the son of Jesse! Each of you, to your tents, Israel! Now look to yourown house, David! So Israel went home again.	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.
17 Rehoboam, however, reigned over those Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.	17 Rehoboam, therefore, reigned over only those Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.
18 When King Rehoboam sent Adoram who was in charge of forced labour, the Israelites stoned him todeath, while King Rehoboam managed to mount his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.	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.
19 And Israel has remained in rebel ion against the House of David from that day to this.	19 Thus Israel has been in rebellion against David's house to this day.