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¹ And Rehoboam went to Siche: for all Israel were come to Sichem, to make him king.² And when Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat whiche was yet in Egypt, heard of it: for he fled to Egypt from the presence of king Solomon, and dwelt in Egypt.³ So they sent, and called him: and Ieroboam and all the congregation of Is-Israel came, & spake vnto Rehoboam, saying:⁴ Thy father made our yocke greeuous, nowe therfore make thou the greenous seruice of thy father and his sore yocke whiche he put vpon vs, lighter, and we will serue thee.⁵ And he sayde vnto them: Depart yet for the space of three dayes, and then come againe to me. And the people departed.⁶ And king Rehoboam toke counsel with the olde men that stoode before Solomon his father, while he yet lyued, and sayd: What counsel geue ye, that I may haue matter to aunswere this people?⁷ And they sayd vnto him: If thou be a seruaunt vnto this people this day, and folowe their mindes, and aunswere them, & speake kinde wordes to them, they will be thy seruauntes for euer.⁸ But he forsoke the counsell that the old men had geuen him, and called vnto his counsel young men, that were growe vp with him and wayted on him,⁹ And he sayde vnto them: What counsell geue ye, that we may aunswere this people? for they haue communed with me, saying: Make the yocke whiche thy father did put vpon vs, lighter.¹⁰ And ye young men that were growen vp with him, spake vnto him, saying: Thus shalt thou speake vnto this people that haue sayd vnto thee, thy father made our yocke heauy, but make thou it vs lighter: Euen thus shalt thou say vnto them, My litle finger shalbe wayghtier then my father was in the loynes.¹¹ And nowe where as my father did lade you & put a greeuous yocke vpon you, I will make it heauier: My father hath chastised you with roddes, but I will correct you with scourges.¹² And so Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the thirde day, as the king had appoynted, saying, Come to me againe the thirde day.¹³ And the king aunswered the people churlishly, and left the old mens counsel that they gaue him:¹⁴ And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yocke greeuous, and I will make it greeuouser: My father also chastised you with roddes, but I will chastise you with scourges.¹⁵ And the king hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordinaunce of God, that he might perfourme his saying, whiche the Lord spake by Ahia the Silonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat.

¹⁶ And so when all Israel sawe that the king regarded them not, the people aunswered the king with these wordes, saying: What portion haue we in Dauid? we haue no inheritaunce in the sonne of Isai: To your tentes O Israel, nowe see to thyne owne house Dauid. And so Israel departed vnto their tentes.¹⁷ Howebeit, ouer the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Iuda, dyd Rehoboam raigne still.¹⁸ The king Rehoboam sent Aduram the receauer of the tribute, and all they of Israel stoned him to death: But king Rehoboam made speede to get him vp to his charet, and to flee to Hierusalem.¹⁹ And they of Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid, vnto this day.²⁰ And when al Israel heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent, and called him vnto the multitude, and made him king ouer al Israel: and there was no tribe that folowed the house of Dauid, but Iuda onely.²¹ And when Rehoboam was come to Hierusalem, he gathered all the house of Iuda, with the tribe of Beniamin, an hundred and fourescore thousande of chosen men which were good warriours, to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon.²² And the worde of God came vnto Semaia the man of God, saying:²³ Speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon king of Iuda, & vnto all the house of Iuda and Beniamin, & to the remnaunt of the people, saying:²⁴ Thus sayeth the Lorde, Ye shall not go vp, nor yet fight against your brethren the children of Israel: returne euery man to his house, for this thing is my doyng. They hearkened therfore to the worde of the Lorde, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.

²⁵ Then Ieroboam buylt Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therin: and went from thence, and buylt Penuel.²⁶ And Ieroboam thought in his heart: nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.²⁷ For if this people go vp and do sacrifice in the house of the Lorde at Hierusalem, then shall the heart of this people turne againe vnto their lorde Rehoboam king of Iuda, and so shal they kill me, and go againe to Rehoboam king of Iuda.²⁸ Wherupon the king toke counsel, and made two calues of golde, and sayd vnto them, It is muche for you to go vp to Hierusalem: Behold O Israel, these are thy goddes, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt.²⁹ And he set the one in Bethel, and the other set he in Dan.³⁰ And this thing turned to sinne: for the people went (because of the one) as farre as Dan.³¹ And he made an house of hill aulters, and made priestes of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sonnes of Leui.³² And Ieroboam made a feast the fyfteene day of the eyght moneth, lyke vnto the feast that is in Iuda, and offered on the aulter: And so did he in Bethel, to offer vnto the calues that he had made: And he put in Bethel the priestes of the hill aulters which he had made.³³ And he went vp to the aulter to burne incense whiche he had made in Bethel the fyfteene day of the eyght moneth, euen in the moneth whiche he had imagined of his owne hearte: and made a solemne feast vnto the children of Israel, and offered vpon the aulter, and burnt incense.