Bible Verses About Rehoboam: Refuses to reform abuses

Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come to proclaim him king.

When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it - for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo; so Yarov'am was living in Egypt;

but they sent and summoned him - Yarov'am and the whole community of Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

"Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you."

He said to them, "Leave me alone for three days, then come back to me." So the people left.

King Rechav'am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, "What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?"

They said to him, "If you will start today being a servant to these people - if you will serve them, be responsive to them and give them favorable consideration, then they will be your servants forever."

But he didn't take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants.

He asked them, "What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us'?"

The young men he had grown up with said to him, "These people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy; but you, make it lighter for us' - here's the answer you should give them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!'"

So Yarov'am and all the people came to Rechav'am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, "Come to me again the third day";

and the king answered the people harshly. Abandoning the advice the older men had given him,

he addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!"

So the king didn't listen to the people; and that was something ADONAI brought about, so that he could fulfill his word, which ADONAI had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov'am the son of N'vat.

Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come in order to proclaim him king.

When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo.

They sent and summoned him, so Yarov'am and all Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

"Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you."

He said to them, "Come back to me after three days." So the people left.

King Rechav'am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, "What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?"

They said to him, "If you will treat these people kindly, pleasing them and giving them favorable consideration, they will be your servants forever."

But he didn't take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants.

He said to them, "What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us'?"

The young men he had grown up with said to him, "The people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter for us'- here's the answer you should give them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!