Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

1 Kings 12:6

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, "How do you advise me to answer these people?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Government;   Jeroboam;   Petition;   Rehoboam;   Revolt;   Young Men;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Rehoboam;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jeroboam;   Jerusalem;   Rehoboam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Counselor;   Education in Bible Times;   Elder;   Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Wages;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Age;   Israel, Kingdom of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Kings, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Counselor;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Israel;   Rehoboam,;   Solomon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Rehoboam ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elder;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Jeroboam;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Revolt;   Kingdom of Israel;   Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - How;   King;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Age old;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Kings, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?”
Hebrew Names Version
King Rechav`am took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Shlomo his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
King James Version
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
English Standard Version
Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"
New Century Version
King Rehoboam asked the elders who had advised Solomon during his lifetime, "How do you think I should answer these people?"
New English Translation
King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, "How do you advise me to answer these people?"
Amplified Bible
King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served and advised his father Solomon while he was still alive and said, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"
New American Standard Bible
And King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And King Rehoboam tooke counsell with the olde men that had stande before Salomon his father, while he yet liued, and sayde, What counsell giue ye, that I may make an answere to this people?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had stood before his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel me to respond to this people?"
Contemporary English Version
Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, "What should I tell these people?"
Complete Jewish Bible
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?"
Darby Translation
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, How do ye advise to return answer to this people?
Easy-to-Read Version
There were some older men who had helped Solomon make decisions when he was alive. So King Rehoboam asked these men what he should do. He said, "How do you think I should answer the people?"
George Lamsa Translation
And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had stood before his father while he was still alive, and said to them, How do you advise that I may answer the people?
Good News Translation
King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served as his father Solomon's advisers. "What answer do you advise me to give these people?" he asked.
Lexham English Bible
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had been serving before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, "How are you advising me to answer this people?"
Literal Translation
And King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had been standing before the face of his father Solomon while he was alive, saying, How do you advise in order to answer this people?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Roboam the kynge helde a councell with the Elders that stode before Salomo his father whyle he lyued, & he sayde: What is youre councell, that we maye geue this people an answere?
American Standard Version
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
Bible in Basic English
Then King Rehoboam took the opinion of the old men who had been with Solomon his father when he was living, and said, In your opinion, what answer am I to give to this people?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And king Rehoboam toke counsel with the olde men that stoode before Solomon his father, while he yet lyued, and sayd: What counsel geue ye, that I may haue matter to aunswere this people?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying: 'What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?'
King James Version (1611)
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father, while he yet liued, and said, How doe you aduise, that I may answere this people?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king referred the matter to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do ye advise that I should answer this people?
English Revised Version
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
Berean Standard Bible
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" he asked.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the puple hadde go, kyng Roboam took counsel with the eldere men, that stoden bifor Salomon, his fadir, while he lyuyde yit; and Roboam seide, What counsel yyue ye to me, that Y answere to the puple?
Young's Literal Translation
And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, `How are ye counselling to answer this people?'
Update Bible Version
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel do you give me to return answer to this people?
Webster's Bible Translation
And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
World English Bible
King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
New Living Translation
Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?"
New Life Bible
King Rehoboam spoke with the leaders who had worked for his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, "What answer do you think I should give to these people?"
New Revised Standard
Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the older men who had attended his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who used to stand before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, saying, - How do, ye, advise, that I answer this people?
Douay-Rheims Bible
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?
Revised Standard Version
Then King Rehobo'am took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, "How do you advise me to answer this people?"
THE MESSAGE
King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father when he was alive: "What's your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the people?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel me to answer this people?"

Contextual Overview

1 2 Chronicles 10:1-19; 11:1-4">[xr] And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 "Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." 5 So he said to them, "Depart for three days, then come back to me." And the people departed. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, "How do you advise me to answer these people?" 7 And they spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever." 8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, "What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, "Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?" 10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us'--thus you shall say to them: "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

consulted: 2 Samuel 16:20, 2 Samuel 17:5, Job 12:12, Job 32:7, Proverbs 27:10, Jeremiah 42:2-5, Jeremiah 43:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:46 - he stood 1 Samuel 8:3 - his sons 1 Kings 12:23 - General 1 Chronicles 6:32 - and then Psalms 119:100 - understand

Cross-References

Genesis 10:15
Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;
Genesis 12:18
And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 12:19
Why did you say, "She is my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way."
Genesis 13:7
And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
Genesis 33:18
Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city.
Genesis 34:2
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her.
Genesis 35:4
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
Deuteronomy 11:30
Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the terebinth trees of Moreh?
Joshua 20:7
So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah.
Joshua 24:32
The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father, while he yet lived,.... Which was very prudently done; for as these were men in years, and had been his father's counsellors, from whom, do doubt, they had learnt much wisdom, being often in cabinet council with him, they were capable of giving him the best advice:

and said, how do you advise, that I may answer this people? what answer would you advise me to give to them, and in what manner?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The old men, that stood before Solomon his father - Perhaps “the princes” of 1 Kings 4:2. Solomon placed great value upon good advisers Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 24:6.


 
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