Bible Verses About Rehoboam: Refuses to reform abuses

And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.

But Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.

And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now, therefore, do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again. And when the people was gone,

King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon, his father, while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people?

They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people to day, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.

But he left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that had been brought up with him, and stood before him.

And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke, which thy father put upon us, lighter?

And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us. Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

And now my father put a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

So Jeroboam, and all the people, came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again the third day.

And the king answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,

And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.

And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias, the Silonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.

And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king.

And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned.

And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

Thy father oppressed with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee.

And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,

He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people?

And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever.

But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train.

And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?

But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.