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¹ And Rehoboam went to Sichem: for to Sichem were all Israel come together to make him king.² And when Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat (which was fled into Egypt from the presence of Solomon the king) heard it, he returned out of Egypt.³ And they sent and called him: And so Ieroboam and all they of Israel, came and communed with Rehoboam, saying:⁴ Thy father layde a greeuous yoke vpon vs: nowe therefore remit thou somewhat of the greeuous seruice of thy fafather, & of his heauy yoke that he put vpon vs, and we wyll serue thee.⁵ And he saide to them: Come againe vnto me after three dayes. And the people departed.⁶ And king Rehoboam counsailed with the elders that had stande before Solomon his father while he yet lyued, and he saide: what counsaile geue ye me, to aunswere this people againe?⁷ And they tolde him, saying: If thou be kinde to this people, and shewe thy selfe lowlie to them, and speake louyng wordes to them, they wyll be thy seruauntes for euer.⁸ But he left the counsaile which the elders gaue him, and toke counsaile with the young men that were growen vp with him, and that stoode in his presence.⁹ And he saide vnto them: What aduise geue ye, that we may aunswere this people, which haue communed with me, saying, Abate somewhat of the yoke which thy father did put vpon vs?¹⁰ And the young men that were growen vp with him, spake vnto him, saying, Thus shalt thou aunswere the people that speake to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heauy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for vs: Thus shalt thou say vnto the, My litle finger, shalbe heauier then my fathers loynes.¹¹ For where my father put a heauy yoke vpon you, I will put more to your yoke: My father chastised you with whyppes, but I wyll chastise you with scourges.

¹² And so Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come againe to me the third day.¹³ And the king aunswered them cruelly: and king Rehoboam left the counsaile of the aged men,¹⁴ And aunswered them after the aduise of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke greeuous, and I wyll adde thereto: my father chastised you with whyppes, but I wyll chastise you with scourges.¹⁵ And so the king hearkened not vnto the people: but the occasion came of God, that the Lorde might make good his saying which he spake by the hand of Ahia the Silonite to Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat.¹⁶ And when all they of Israel saw that the king woulde not agree vnto them, the people aunswered the king, saying: What portion haue we in Dauid? For we haue no inheritaunce in the sonne of Isai: Euery man to his tent oh Israel, and nowe Dauid, see to thyne owne house. And so all Israel gat them to their tentes:¹⁷ So that Rehoboam raigned ouer no mo of the children of Israel then dwelt in the cities of Iuda.¹⁸ Then king Rehoboam also sent Haduram that was ruler ouer the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he dyed: But king Rehoboam made speede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Hierusalem.¹⁹ And they of Israel rebelled against the house of Dauid vnto this day.