北方支派背叛罗波安
1罗波安前往示剑，因为以色列人都去了那里，要立他为王。 2尼八的儿子耶罗波安曾为了躲避所罗门王而逃往埃及，并一直住在那里。他听到消息后，便返回以色列。 3以色列人派人去请他，他就和以色列会众去见罗波安，说： 4“你父亲使我们负担沉重，求你减轻我们的负担吧，我们一定效忠你。”
5罗波安对他们说：“你们先回去，三天之后再来见我。”众人就离开了。
6罗波安王去征询曾服侍他父亲所罗门的老臣的意见，说：“你们认为我该怎样回复众民？” 7他们建议说：“现今王若像仆人一样服侍民众，对他们好言相待，他们会永远做王的仆人。”
8罗波安却没有采纳老臣的意见。他又去征询那些和他一起长大的青年臣僚的意见， 9说：“民众求我减轻我父亲加给他们的重担。你们认为我该怎样回复他们？”
10他们说：“民众说你父亲使他们负担沉重，请求你减轻他们的负担。你可以这样回复他们，‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗。 11我父亲使你们负重担，我要使你们负更重的担子；我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用刺鞭打你们。’”
12过了三天，耶罗波安和民众遵照罗波安王的话来见他。 13-14王没有采纳老臣的建议，而是照青年臣僚的建议，疾言厉色地对他们说：“我父亲使你们负重担，我要使你们负更重的担子！我父亲用鞭子打你们，我要用刺鞭打你们！” 15王不听民众的请求。这事是出于耶和华的旨意，为要应验祂借示罗人亚希雅先知对尼八的儿子耶罗波安说的话。
16以色列人见王不听他们的请求，就说：
“我们与大卫有何相干？
我们与耶西的儿子没有关系！
以色列人啊，各自回家吧！
大卫家啊，自己照顾自己吧！”
于是，以色列人各自回家了。 17但住在犹大城邑的以色列人仍受罗波安统治。 18罗波安王派劳役总管亚多兰去以色列人那里，以色列人却用石头打死了他，罗波安王连忙上车逃回耶路撒冷。 19从此，以色列人反叛大卫家，一直到今天。 20以色列人听说耶罗波安回来了，就请他到会众面前，拥立他做以色列人的王。只有犹大支派仍然效忠大卫家。
21罗波安回到耶路撒冷，从犹大和便雅悯支派召集了十八万精兵，要攻打以色列人，收复全国。 22然而，上帝对祂的仆人示玛雅说： 23“你去告诉所罗门的儿子犹大王罗波安和犹大、便雅悯支派的人以及其他民众， 24耶和华这样说，‘你们不要上去与以色列同胞交战，都回家吧！今日的景况是出于我的旨意。’”众人听从了耶和华的话，各自回家去了。
耶罗波安背弃上帝
25耶罗波安在以法莲山区修建示剑城，住在那里。他后来又去修建毗努伊勒。 26他心想：“国权恐怕会重归大卫家。 27若百姓去耶路撒冷，在耶和华的殿献祭，他们的心必重新归向他们的主——犹大王罗波安。他们会杀了我，然后投奔犹大王罗波安。” 28他征询臣僚的意见后，就铸造了两个金牛犊，对民众说：“以色列人啊，你们上耶路撒冷敬拜太麻烦了。这两个金牛犊就是领你们出埃及的神明。” 29他把一个金牛犊安置在伯特利，另一个安置在但。 30这使民众陷入罪中，因为他们开始到但去拜金牛犊。
31耶罗波安又在高岗上修建神庙，任命各样的人做祭司，他们并非利未人。 32耶罗波安规定每年八月十五日为节期，好像犹大的节期一样。他自己在伯特利的祭坛上向金牛犊献祭烧香，又派神庙的祭司在献祭中司职。 33在八月十五日，就是他私自为以色列人定为节期的日子，他在伯特利的祭坛上烧香。
1And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) 3That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
6¶ And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? 7And 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. 8But 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: 9And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 10And 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 yoke 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. 11And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12¶ So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;12.13 roughly: Heb. hardly 14And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15Wherefore 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 Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16¶ So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.12.18 made…: Heb. strengthened himself 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.12.19 rebelled: or, fell away 20And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21¶ And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
25¶ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.12.32 offered…: or, went up to the altar, etc12.32 sacrificing: or, to sacrifice 33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el 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 Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.12.33 offered…: or, went up to the altar, etc12.33 and burnt…: Heb. to burn incense
