2 Chronicles 13:7

5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

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
Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.
KJV
And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
WEB
Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.
ASV
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.
DARBY
And vain men, sons of Belial, gathered to him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted, and did not shew himself strong against them.
BLB
And vain men gathered to him, sons of worthlessness, and they strenghtened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon. And Rehoboam was young and tender of heart, and he could not strengthen himself against them.
ÅB
Og det samlet seg om ham en flokk løse folk og onde mennesker, og de satte seg med vold opp imot Rehabeam, Salomos sønn; og Rehabeam var ung og motløs og kunne ikke stå seg mot dem.
OTB
og menn av lav karakter samlet seg til ham, urettferdige menn, som viste seg for sterke for Rehabeam, Salomos sønn, da han var ung og nølende og ikke kunne motstå dem.
B1930
Og det samlet sig om ham en flokk løse folk og onde mennesker, og de satte sig med vold op imot Rehabeam, Salomos sønn; og Rehabeam var ung og motløs og kunde ikke stå sig mot dem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Judges 9:4

    And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

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  • 2 Chronicles 12:13

    So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

    Read in context
  • Hebrews 5:12

    For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 26:4

    I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 22:2

    And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

    Read in context
  • Judges 11:3

    Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

    Read in context
  • Job 30:8

    They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 11:1–4

    And 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 Rehoboam.

    Read in context