I Kings 12

¹Forsothe Roboam cam in to Sichem; for al Israel was gaderid thidur to make hym kyng.

²`And sotheli Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, whanne he was yit in Egipt, and fledde fro the face of kyng Salomon, turnede ayen fro Egipt, for the deeth of Salomon was herd;

³and thei senten, and clepiden hym. Therfor Jeroboam cam, and al the multitude of Israel, and thei spaken to Roboam,

⁴and seiden, Thi fadir puttide hardeste yok on vs, therfor abate thou a litil now of the hardest comaundement of thi fadir, and of the greuousiste yok which he puttide on vs, and we schulen serue to thee.

⁵Which Roboam seide to hem, Go ye `til to the thridde dai, and turne ye ayen to me.

⁶And whanne the puple hadde go, kyng Roboam took counsel with the eldere men, that stoden bifor Salomon, his fadir, while he lyuyde yit; and Roboam seide, What counsel yyue ye to me, that Y answere to the puple?

⁷Whiche seiden to hym, If thou obeiest to dai to this puple, and seruest this puple, and yyuest stide to her axyng, and spekist to hem liyte wordis, thei schulen be seruauntis to thee in alle daies.

⁸Which Roboam forsook the counsel of elde men, which thei yauen to hym, and took yonge men, that weren nurschid with hym, and stoden nyy him;

⁹and he seide to hem, What counsel yyue ye to me, that Y answere to this puple, that seiden to me, Make thou esyere the yok which thi fadir puttide on vs?

¹⁰And the yonge men, that weren nurschid with hym, seiden to hym, Thus speke thou to this puple, that spaken to thee, and seiden, Thi fadir made greuouse oure yok, releeue thou vs; thus thou schalt speke to hem, My leest fyngur is grettere than the bak of my fader;

¹¹and now my fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, forsothe Y schal adde on youre yok; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.

¹²Therfor Jeroboam, and al the puple, cam to Roboam, in the thridde dai, as the kyng spak, seiynge, Turne ye ayen to me in the thridde dai.

¹³And the kyng answeride harde thingis to the puple, while the counsel of eldere men was forsakun, which thei hadden youe to hym;

¹⁴and he spak to hem bi the counsel of yonge men, and seide, My fadir made greuouse youre yok, forsothe Y schal adde to youre yok; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.

¹⁵And the kyng assentide not to the puple, for the Lord hadde turned awey, `ether hadde wlatid hym, that the Lord schulde reise his word, which he hadde spoke in the hond of Ahias of Silo to Jeroboam, sone of Nabath.

¹⁶Therfor the puple siy, that the kyng nolde here hem; and the puple answeride to the kyng, and seide, What part is to vs in Dauid, ether what eritage in the sone of Ysay? Israel, turne thou ayen in to thi tabernaclis; now, Dauid, se thou thin hows. And Israel yede in to hise tabernaclis.

¹⁷Forsothe Roboam regnede on the sones of Israel, whiche euere dwelliden in the citees of Juda.

¹⁸Therfore kyng Roboam sente Adhuram, that was on the tributis; and al the puple of Israel stonyde hym, and he was deed.

¹⁹Forsothe kyng Roboam stiede hastili on the chare, and fledde in to Jerusalem; and Israel departide fro the hows of Dauid, til in to present dai.

²⁰Forsothe it was doon, whanne al Israel hadde herd that Jeroboam turnede ayen, thei senten, and clepiden hym, whanne the cumpany was gaderid togidere, and thei maden hym kyng on al Israel; and no man suede the hows of Dauid, outakun the lynage aloone of Juda.

²¹Forsothe Roboam cam to Jerusalem, and gaderide al the hows of Juda, and the lynage of Beniamyn, an hundrid and fourescore thousynde of chosun men and weriours, that thei schulden fiyte ayens the hows of Israel, and schulden brynge ayen the rewme to Roboam, sone of Solomon.

²²Forsothe the word of God was made to Semeia, the man of God, and seide,

²³Speke thou to Roboam, sone of Salomon, the kyng of Juda, and to al the hows of Juda and of Beniamyn, and to the residue of the puple, and seie thou, The Lord seith thes thingis,

²⁴Ye schulen not stie, nether ye schulen fiyte ayens youre britheren, the sones of Israel; `a man turne ayen in to his hows, for this word is doon of me. Thei herden the word of the Lord, and thei turneden ayen fro the iurney, as the Lord comaundide to hem.

²⁵Forsothe Jeroboam bildide Sichem, in the hil of Effraym, and dwellide there; and he yede out fro thennus, and bildide Phanuel.

²⁶And Jeroboam seide in his herte, Now the rewme schal turne ayen to the hows of Dauid,

²⁷if this puple stieth to Jerusalem, that it make sacrifices in the hows of the Lord in Jerusalem; and the herte of this puple schal turne to her lord, Roboam, kyng of Juda; and thei schulen sle me, and schulen turne ayen to hym.

²⁸And by counsel thouyt out, he made tweyne goldun caluys, and seide to hem, Nyle ye stie more in to Jerusalem; Israel, lo! thi goddis, that ledden thee out of the lond of Egipt.

²⁹And he settide oon in Bethel, and the tother in Dan.

³⁰And this word was maad to Israel in to synne; for the puple yede til in to Dan, to worschipe the calf.

³¹And Jeroboam made templis in hiye placis, and `he made preestis of the laste men of the puple, that weren not of the sones of Leuy.

³²And he ordeynede a solempne dai in the eiythe monethe, in the fiftenthe dai of the monethe, bi the licnesse of solempnyte which was halewid in Juda. And he stiede, and made in lijk maner an auter in Bethel, that he schulde offre to the calues, whiche he hadde maad; and he ordeynede in Bethel preestis of the hiye places, whiche he hadde maad.

³³And he styede on the auter, which he hadde bildid in Bethel, in the fiftenthe day of the eiythe monethe, which he hadde feyned of his herte; and he made solempnyte to the sones of Israel, and he stiede on the auter, that he schulde brenne encence.

I Kings 12

¹And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

³That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

⁴Thy 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.

⁵And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

⁶And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

⁷And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

⁸But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

⁹And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

¹⁰And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

¹¹And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

¹³And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

¹⁴And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

¹⁵Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

¹⁷But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

²⁰And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

²¹And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

²²But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

²³Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

²⁴Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.

²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

²⁶And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

²⁷If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

²⁹And he set the one in Beth–el, and the other put he in Dan.

³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

³¹And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth–el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth–el the priests of the high places which he had made.

³³So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth–el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.