The harsh answer

13And the king answered the people harshly, and he abandoned the counsel of the elders who had advised him.

14He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

15So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from Yahweh, in order to establish his word that Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.