1. Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
2. Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, where he had gone to hide from Solomon.
3. But the people from the northern tribes of Israel sent for him. Then together they went to Rehoboam and said,
4. “Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard. But if you make our work easier, we will serve you and do whatever you ask.”
5. “Give me three days to think about it,” Rehoboam replied, “then come back for my answer.” So the people left.
6. Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, “What should I tell these people?”
15-19. When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: “We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people.”Adoniram was in charge of the forced labour, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem.So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All this happened just as the Lord's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
26-27. One day, Jeroboam started thinking, “Everyone in Israel still goes to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord. What if they become loyal to David's family again? They will kill me and accept Rehoboam as their king.”
29-30. Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel. He put the other one in the town of Dan, and the crowd walked out in front as the calf was taken there. What Jeroboam did was a terrible sin.
32-33. He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah. On that day, Jeroboam went to Bethel and offered sacrifices on the altar to the gold calf he had put there. Then he assigned the priests their duties.