American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
In the multitude of people is the king's glory;But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
And there were gathered unto him worthless men, base fellows, that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.
And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.
For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.
{Or, There is no end, in the mind of all the people, to all that hath been before them; they also &c.}There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the {Hebrew: burden.}labor of the house of Joseph.
And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
Thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened unto the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and mine ordinances, as did David his father.
Thus saith Jehovah, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is of me. So they hearkened unto the words of Jehovah, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of victuals, and oil and wine.
And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.
And Judah did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.
For they also built them high places, and {Or, obelisks}pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every green tree;
and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel.
Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, Ye have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.
{Or, Woe to Asshur}Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!
In that day will the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
And his lord commended {Greek: the stewart of unrightousness.}the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this {Or, age}world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.