Roboam – 2 Paralipomenon, chapter 10 (2 Chronicles)

Roboam answereth the people roughly: upon which ten tribes revolt.

[1] And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king. [2] And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned. [3] And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying: [4] Thy father oppressed us 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. [5] And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,

[6] 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? [7] And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever. [8] 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. [9] 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? [10] 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.

[11] My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions. [12] So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them. [13] And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients. [14] And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions. [15] And he condescended not to the people’s requests: for it was the will of God, that his word might be fulfilled which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

[16] And all the people upon the king’s speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David, feed thy own house. And Israel went away to their dwellings. [17] But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda. [18] And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to get up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem. [19] And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.