SECOND CHRONICLES X-ISRAEL SEPARATES FROM JUDAH 775

9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye, that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?

10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16¶And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

Chapter 11

1 Rehoboam raising an army to subdue Israel, is forbidden by Shemaiah. 5 He strengtheneth his kingdom with forts and provision. 13 The priests and Levites, and such as feared God, forsaken by Jeroboam, strengthen the kingdom of Judah. 18 The wives and children of Rehoboam.

ND when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Reho

boam.

2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

776 SECOND CHRONICLES XI-REHOBOAM STRENGTHENS JUDAH

3 Speak unto Rehoboam the son of. Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

6 He built even Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7 And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Âzekah,

10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13 ¶ And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14 For the Levites left their suburbs, and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:

15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils,' and for the calves which he had made.

16 And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18 ¶ And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters,)

22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. 23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children through

"The Revised Version changes "devils" to "he-goats," literally "hairy ones."

Bath-sheba's Unwise Petition

BY W. S. STACEY. FROM "ONE HUNDRED BIBLE
STORIES," ISSUED BY THOMAS NELSON AND

SONS.
+

"Bath-sheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her."-I. Kings, 2, 19.

I

N UNRESTRICTED monarchies the law of succession

to the throne is necessarily uncertain. Each king

may change it as he will to please his favorites, and thus each of all his sons may aspire to succeed him. Plots naturally ensue. Hence Solomon was unable to ascend his throne wholly unstained by blood. He pardoned the rebellion of his brother Adonijah; but no sooner was David dead than Adonijah began another and subtler attempt upon the throne. A new king was supposed to marry the young wives of his predecessor. So Adonijah went to Solomon's mother Bath-sheba and professing great love for one of David's wives, entreated the queenmother to secure her for him.

Bath-sheba, noting nothing of the underlying danger and thinking to establish harmony between the brothers, brought this request to Solomon. The young king received his mother with eager reverence; but when he knew her errand his brow darkened. What other information he had, we know not; but he declared at once that this was a new plot, and he sent and slew Adonijah. Joab also, the great general, was torn from the altar of God to which he clung, and was slaughtered there. David had counselled Solomon to kill Joab, Now the deed was done.