He also had a concubine in Shechem; she bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

On his return from Mesopotamia Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and set up his camp in a field near the city.

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her.

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the people of northern Israel had gathered to make him king.

Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty.

The people of the northern tribes sent for him, and then they all went together to Rehoboam and said to him,

When the people of Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned from Egypt, they invited him to a meeting of the people and made him king of Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's descendants.

Look! Your enemies are in revolt, and those who hate you are rebelling.

"Come," they say, "let us destroy their nation, so that Israel will be forgotten forever."

Then the people said, "Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says."