Study Desk

Now Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

And Solomon lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

And then 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?"

But he ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, "This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!' You should speak this way to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

'Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!'"

He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.

When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the LORD.

with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

And Rehoboam lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.

Abijah began the battle with an army of warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were valiant warriors.

"So now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.

"Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of things that are not gods.

"Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we perform our duty to the LORD our God, but you have abandoned Him.

"Now behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the war cry against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain.

Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

So Abijah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to comply with the Law and the commandment.