Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and will hand you over to Shishak.’” ¹ 

Now Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled in Judah. He ¹  was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, ²  the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. ³  His mother was an Ammonite woman ⁴  named Naamah.

He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

So when Rehoboam ¹  humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger and did not annihilate him; ²  Judah experienced some good things. ³ 

He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided. ¹ 

But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. ¹ 

But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. ¹ 

Judah did evil in the sight of ¹  the Lord. They made him more jealous by their sins than their ancestors had done. ² 

The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine.

He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord. ¹ 

He followed all the sinful practices of his father before him. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. ¹ 

He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols ¹  his ancestors ²  had made.

He later married Maacah the daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

The king refused to listen to the people, because the Lord was instigating this turn of events ¹  so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made ²  through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; ¹  I will make them even heavier. ²  My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.” ³ 

The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events ¹  so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made ²  through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. ¹  He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them. ² 

The young advisers with whom Rehoboam ¹  had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ ²  Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father! ³