1 Rehoboam went to a town named Shechem. All the people came to make him king. ️ 2 Jeroboam was in Egypt. He heard this news and came back home. ♂️ 3 The people sent for Jeroboam. Jeroboam and all the people came and talked to Rehoboam. ✉️➡️️ 4 The people said, Your dad Solomon made us work very hard. Please make the work easy. Then we will work for you. 5 Rehoboam said, Come back in 3 days. So the people went away. ⏳3️⃣ 6 Rehoboam asked the old men who helped Solomon, What should I do? ️ 7 The old men said, Be kind to the people. Use good words. Then they will help you always. 8 But Rehoboam did not listen to the old men. He asked the young men, his friends. ➡️ 9 Rehoboam said to his friends, What should I say to the people who want easy work? ❓ 10 The young men said, Say this: I am stronger than my dad. I will be harder on you. 11 Say this: My dad made you work hard. I will make you work harder. My dad hit you with whips. I will use worse whips. ⚠️️ 12 Jeroboam and all the people came back on day 3, like the king said. 3️⃣ 13 The king answered the people in a mean way. He did not use kind words. ️ 14 Rehoboam spoke the words of the young men. He said he would make the work even harder. 15 The king did not listen to the people. This was God’s plan. God said this long ago by His man Ahijah. 16 All the people saw the king would not listen. They said, We have no part with David. Israel, go home! So they went home. ♂️ 17 But Rehoboam was king over the people who lived in the towns of Judah. ️ 18 Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the work boss. The people threw rocks at him, and he died. The king got in his horse cart and ran to Jerusalem. ♂️⚰️♂️ 19 So Israel did not follow David’s family after that day. ❌