1 Kings 12:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Sam 8:11-18 : 11 He said,“Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. 12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. 13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his own servants. 15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators and his servants. 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. 18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won’t answer you in that day.”
  • 1 Kgs 4:7 : 7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year.
  • 1 Kgs 9:15 : 15 Here are the details concerning the work crews King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
  • 1 Kgs 9:22-23 : 22 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces. 23 These men were also in charge of Solomon’s work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers.
  • 2 Chr 10:4-5 : 4 “Your father made us work too hard! Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.” 5 He said to them,“Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
  • Matt 11:29-30 : 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
  • Matt 23:4 : 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.
  • 1 John 5:3 : 3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down,
  • 1 Kgs 4:20-25 : 20 Solomon’s Wealth and Fame The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. 21 (5:1) Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime. 22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed thirty cors of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 23 ten calves fattened in the stall, twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. 24 His royal court was so large because he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. 25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 2 Chr 10:3-7
    5 verses
    97%

    3They sent for him and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

    4“Your father made us work too hard! Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”

    5He said to them,“Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

    6King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,“How do you advise me to answer these people?”

    7They said to him,“If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”

  • 1 Kgs 12:3
    82%

    3They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

  • 1 Kgs 12:9-14
    6 verses
    80%

    9He asked them,“How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me,‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”

    10The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him,“Say this to these people who have said to you,‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ Say this to them:‘I am a lot harsher than my father!

    11My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”

    12Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said,“Return to me on the third day.”

    13The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

    14and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said,“My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”

  • 2 Chr 10:9-14
    6 verses
    79%

    9He asked them,“How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me,‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”

    10The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him,“Say this to these people who have said to you,‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden’– say this to them:‘I am a lot harsher than my father!

    11My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”

    12Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said,“Return to me on the third day.”

    13The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

    14and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said,“My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”

  • 1 Kgs 12:5-7
    3 verses
    78%

    5He said to them,“Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

    6King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,“How do you advise me to answer these people?”

    7They said to him,“Today if you will be a servant to these people and grant their request, speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”

  • 2 Chr 11:3
    72%

    3“Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,

  • 1 Kgs 12:27-28
    2 verses
    71%

    27If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master, King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”

    28After the king had consulted with his advisers, he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people,“It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

  • Neh 9:36-37
    2 verses
    71%

    36“So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy its good things– we are slaves!

    37Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit, and we are in great distress!

  • Exod 1:13-14
    2 verses
    70%

    13and they made the Israelites serve rigorously.

    14They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.

  • 2 Chr 13:8
    70%

    8Now you are declaring that you will resist the LORD’s rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

  • 1 Kgs 12:1
    69%

    1Rehoboam Loses His Kingdom Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.

  • 1 Kgs 12:23
    69%

    23“Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people,

  • 1 Kgs 12:16-17
    2 verses
    69%

    16When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king,“We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So Israel returned to their homes.

    17(Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)

  • 1 Sam 8:16-17
    2 verses
    69%

    16He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use.

    17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants.

  • Deut 1:12
    69%

    12But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife?

  • Lam 5:8
    69%

    8Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from their power.

  • Jer 27:12
    68%

    12I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said,“Submit to the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live.

  • Deut 26:6
    68%

    6But the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed us, forcing us to do burdensome labor.

  • Exod 5:16
    68%

    16No straw is given to your servants, but we are told,‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are even being beaten, but the fault is with your people.”

  • 1 Sam 12:14-15
    2 verses
    68%

    14If you fear the LORD, serving him and obeying him and not rebelling against what he says, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, all will be well.

    15But if you don’t obey the LORD and rebel against what the LORD says, the hand of the LORD will be against both you and your king.

  • 2 Chr 12:8
    68%

    8Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations.”

  • Neh 5:5
    68%

    5And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”

  • 2 Chr 28:10
    67%

    10And now you are planning to enslave the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?

  • Jer 27:2
    67%

    2The LORD told me,“Make a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and put it on your neck.

  • Nah 1:13
    67%

    13And now, I will break Assyria’s yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.”

  • Exod 5:4
    67%

    4The king of Egypt said to them,“Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? Return to your labor!”

  • Neh 9:16
    67%

    16“But they– our ancestors– behaved presumptuously; they rebelled and did not obey your commandments.