A   And Rehoboam went to Sichem for all Israel were come to Sichem to make hym kynge. And when Ierobo&abar; the sonne of Nabat hearde of it beyng yet in Egypte: for he fleed to Egypte for feare of Salomon, and dwelt in Egypte. And they sent ∧ called hym: and so Ieroboam ∧ all the c&obar;gregacyon of Israel came and spake vnto Rehoboam, sayinge: thy father made oure youcke greuouse, but nowe make thou the greuouse seruyce of thy father ∧ hys sore youcke which he put vpon vs, lyghter; and so we wyl serue the. And he sayde vnto them: departe yet for þe; space of thre dayes, and then come agayne to me. And the people departed.

And kynge Rehoboam toke councell wyth the olde men that stode before Salomon hys father whyle he yet lyued, ∧ sayd: B   what councell geue ye to aunswere thys people with al? And they sayd vnto hym: If thou shalt be a seruaunt vnto this people this daye and serue them, ∧ answere th&ebar;, ∧ speake kynd wordes to th&ebar;: they wyll be thy seruauntes for euer. But he lefte the councell that the olde m&ebar; had geu&ebar; hym, ∧ co&ubar;celed with the young men þt; were nourished vp with him, ∧ had waited on him.

And he sayd vnto them: what councel geue ye, to aunswere this people with all whiche haue communed wyth me, sayinge: make the youcke whiche thy father dyd put vpon vs, lighter? And the yo&ubar;g men that were brought vp wyth hym, aunswered hym, sayinge: thys people that haue sayde vnto the: thy father made our youcke heuye, make thou it vs lighter: thus aunswere them. My lytle fynger C   shalbe wayghtyer then my fathers loynes. And nowe where my father put a greuouse youcke vpon you, I wyll make it heauyer. For where my father corrected you &wt; scourges, I wil chastyse you &wt; scorpi&obar;s. And when Ieroboam and all the people were come to

Rehoboam. Rehoboam the thyrde daye, as the kynge annoynted them, saying: come to me agayn this daye thre dayes: the kynge aunswered the people churlyshlye, and lefte the aduise that olde m&ebar; gaue hym: and spake to them after the co&ubar;cell of the younge men, sayinge. My father made youre youcke greuouse, but I wyl make it greuouser. For where my father chastysed you with whyppes, I wyll chastyse you with scorpyons. D   And so the kynge herkened not vnto the people: for the turnynge awaye was of the Lorde, ^note to performe hys sayinge, which the Lorde sayde by Ahiah the Silonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat.

And when all Israel sawe that the kynge regarded them not, the people aunswered the kynge agayne sayinge: we haue no parte in Dauid, nor enheritaunce in the sonne of Isai. ^noteTo youre tentes therfor Israel, ∧ nowe se to thyne owne house Dauid. And so Israell departed vnto theyr tentes. How be it ouer the chyldren of Israel which dwelt in the cytye of Iuda, dyd Rehoboam raygne stil. Then king Rehoboam sente Aduram the receyuer of the trybute. And all Israel stoned him to deathe with stones. E   But kyng Rehoboam made spede ∧ gat him vp to hys charet, ∧ fleed to Ierusalem. And so Israel departed fr&obar; the house of Dauid vnto thys daye. And when all Israell hearde that Ieroboam was come agayn, they sent ∧ called hym vnto the congregacyon and made him kyng ouer Israel: so there folowed the house of Dauid, but the trybe of Iuda only. ^noteAnd when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered all the house of Iuda ∧ the trybe of Beniamin an hundred and foure skore thousandes of chosen m&ebar; and good warryours, to fyghte agaynst the house of Israel and to brynge the kyngdome agayne to Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon.

Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto Semeiah the man of God sayinge: speake vnto Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon kynge of Iuda, F   and vnto all the house of Iuda and Beniamin, and the remnaunt of the people ∧ saye. Thus sayth the Lorde: go not nor yet fyght agaynste youre brethren the chyldren of Israel, but returne euery man to his house, for thys doynge is of the Lorde. And they obeyed the worde of the Lorde, and returned ∧ departed accordynge to the word of the Lord. Then Ieroboam buylte Sichem in mounte Ephraim, and dwelt therin. And went from thence and buylt Phanuel.

And Ieroboam thought in hys hert: now myght the kyngdome returne to the house of Dauid agayne. For yf thys people shall go vp, ∧ do sacryfyce in the house of the Lord at Ierusal&ebar;, then shall theyr hertes turne againe vnto theyr Lorde Rehoboam kynge of Iuda. And so shall they kyll me, and go agayne to Rehoboam kyng of Iuda. ^noteWhervpon the kynge toke councell, and made two calues of golde and sayde vnto the people: ye shall not neade to go any more to Ierusalem. Beholde Ieroboam. G   youre Goddes Israel which brought you out of the lande of Egypte. And he put the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And that doynge, was a cause of synne. And the people went before the one as farre as Dan. And he made houses of hyllaulters, and made of the lowest of the people priestes whiche were not of the sonnes of Leui. And Ieroboam made a feast the .xv. daye of the .viij. moneth like vnto the feast that was in Iuda, and offered on the aultare. And so dyd he in Bethell, to offer vnto the calues that he had made. And he put in Bethel the pryestes of the hyll aultares whiche he had made. And he offered vpon the aulter whiche he had made in Bethell, the .xv. daye of the .viij. moneth, which he had ymagined of hys owne hert: and made a solempne feaste vnto the chyldren of Israel, and wente vp to the aultare to burne sacrifyce.

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