1 Kings 12:9
7 They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you should make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
11 Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
- KJV
- And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
- WEB
- He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter’?”
- ASV
- And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter?
- DARBY
- And he said to them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people who have spoken to me saying, Lighten the yoke which thy father put upon us?
- BLB
- And he said to them, “What do you⁺ counsel that we should return as an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten of the yoke that your father put on us’?”
- ÅB
- Han spurte dem: Hva råder dere til at vi skal svare dette folk som har sagt til meg: Lett det åk din far la på oss?
- OTB
- Han sa til dem, "Hvilket råd gir dere, så vi kan svare dette folket som har talt til meg og sagt, 'Let åket som din far la på oss'?"
- B1930
- Han spurte dem: Hvad råder I til at vi skal svare dette folk som har sagt til mig: Lett det åk din far la på oss?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Chronicles 18:5–7
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Read in context1 Kings 22:6–8
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Read in context2 Samuel 17:5–6
Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
Read in context2 Chronicles 10:9
He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
Read in context