2 Chronicles 10:4

² When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon.

³ So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

⁵ Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked.

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: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
KJV: Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
WEB: “Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make the grievous service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
ASV: Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
DARBY: Thy father made our yoke grievous; and now lighten the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
BLB: “Your father hardened our yoke, and now lighten the severe service of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us, and we will serve you.”

ÅB: Din far gjorde vårt åk tungt; men lett nå du den hårde tjeneste og det tunge åk som din far la på oss! Så vil vi tjene deg.
OTB: “Din far gjorde vårt åk tungt; let nå det harde arbeidet som din far påla oss og hans tunge åk som han la på oss, så vil vi tjene deg.”
B1930: Din far gjorde vårt åk tungt; men lett nu du den hårde tjeneste og det tunge åk som din far la på oss! Så vil vi tjene dig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Kings 12:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you should lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Read in context
1 Samuel 8:11–18
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.
Read in context
Exodus 1:13–14
They worked the Israelites ruthlessly
Read in context
Exodus 2:23
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
Read in context
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
Read in context
1 Kings 5:15
Solomon had 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains,
Read in context
1 Kings 4:25
Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
Read in context
Matthew 23:4
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Read in context