1 Rehoboám ſuccedeth Salomón. 3 He refuſeth the counſel of the Ancient. 20 Ieroboám reigneth ouer Iſraél. 21 God commandeth Rehoboám not to fight. 28 Ieroboám maketh golden calues.

1.ANd ^* Rehoboám went to Shechém: for all Iſraél were come to Shechém, to make him King.

2.And when Ieroboám the ſonne of Nebát heard of it (who was yet in Egypt) ^* whether Ieroboám had fled from King Salomón, and ^" dwelt in Egypt,

3.Then thei ſent and called him : and Ieroboám and all the Congregacion of Iſraél came, and ſpake vnto Rehoboám, ſaying,

4.Thy father made our ^* yoke grieuous: now therefore make thou the grieuous ſeruitude of thy father, and his ſore yoke which he put vpon vs, ^a lighter, & we wil ſerue thee.

5.And he ſaid vnto them, Departe yet for thre dayes, then come againe to me. And the people departed.

6.And King Rehoboám toke counſel with the olde men that ^" had ſtande before Salomón his father, while he yet liued, and ſaid, What counſel giue ye, that I may make an anſwer to this people?

7.And thei ſpake vnto him, ſaying, If thou be a ^b ſeruant vnto this people this day, and ſerue them, and anſwer them, and ſpeake kinde wordes to them, thei wil be thy ſeruants for euer.

8.But he forſoke the counſel that the olde men had giuen him, and aſked counſel of the yong men, that had bene broght vp with him, and waited on him.

9.And he ſaid vnto them, ^c What counſel giue ye, that we may anſwer this people, which haue ſpoken to me, ſaying, Make the yoke, which thy father did put vpon vs, lighter?

10.Then the yong men that were broght vp with him, ſpake vnto him, ſaying, Thus ſhalt thou ſay vnto this people, that haue ſpoken vnto thee, and ſaid, Thy father hathe made our yoke heauie, but make thou it lighter vnto vs: euen thus ſhalt thou ſay vnto them, My ^" leaſt parte ſhalbe ^d bigger then my fathers loynes.

11.Now where as my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I wil yet make your yoke heauier : my father hathe chaſtiſed you with rods, but I wil correct you with ^" ſcourges.

12.¶ Then Ieroboám and all the people came to Rehoboám the third day, as the King had ^e appointed, ſaying, Come to me againe the third day.

13.And the King anſwered the people ſharpely, and left the olde mens counſel that thei gaue him,

14.And ſpake to them after the counſel of the yong men, ſaying, My father made your yoke grieuous, and I wil make your yoke more grieuous : my father hathe chaſtiſed you with rods, but I wil correct you with ſcourges.

15.And the King hearkened not vnto the people : for ^" it was the ordinance of the Lord, that he might performe his ſaying, ^* which the Lord had ſpoken by Ahiiáh the Shilonite vnto Ieroboám the ſonne of Nebát.

16.So when all Iſraél ſawe that the King regarded them not, the people anſwered the King thus, ſaying, What porcion haue we in ^f Dauid? we haue none inheritance in the ſonne of Iſhái. To your tents, ô Iſraél: now ſe to thine owne houſe, Dauid. So Iſraél departed vnto their tents.

17.Howbeit ouer the children of Iſraél, which dwelt in the cities of Iudáh, did Rehoboám reigne ſtil.

18.¶ Now the King Rehoboám ſent Adorám the receiuer of the tribute, and all Iſraél ſtoned him to death : then King Rehoboám ^" made ſpede to get him vp to his charet, to flee to Ieruſalém:

19.And Iſraél rebelled againſt the houſe ^g of Dauid vnto this day.

20.¶ And when all Iſraél had heard that Ieroboám

21.And whẽ Rehoboám was come to Ieruſalém, he ^h gathered all the houſe of Iudáh with the tribe of Beniamín an hundreth and four ſcore thouſand of choſen men (which were good warriours) to fight againſt the houſe of Iſraél & to bring the kingdome againe to Rehoboám the ſonne of Salomón.

22.^* But the worde of God came vnto Shemaiáh the ⁱ man of God, ſaying,

23.Speake vnto Rehoboám the ſonne of Salamón King of Iudáh, and vnto all the houſe of Iudáh and Beniamín, and the remnant of the people, ſaying,

24.Thus ſayth the ^k Lord, Ye ſhal not go vp, nor fight againſt your brethren the children of Iſraél: returne euerie man to his houſe: for this thing is done by me. They obeied therefore the worde of the Lord and returned, and departed, according to the worde of the Lord.

25.¶ Then Ieroboám buylt Shechém in mount Ephráim, and dwelt therein, & wẽt from thence, and buylt Penuél.

26.And Ieroboám thoght in his heart, Now ſhal the kingdome returne to the houſe of Dauid.

27.If this people go vp and do ſacrifice in the houſe of the Lord ^l at Ieruſalém, the ſhal the heart of this people turne againe vnto their lord, euen to Rehoboám King of Iudáh: ſo ſhal they kil me and go againe to Rehoboám King of Iudáh.

28.Whereupon the King toke counſel, and made two calues of golde, and ſaid vnto them, ^m It is to muche for you to go vp to Ieruſalém: beholde, ô Iſraél, thy gods, which broght thee vp out of the land of Egypt.

29.And he ſet the one in Beth-él, and the other ſet he in Dan.

30.And this thing turned to ſinne: for the people wẽt (becauſe of yͤ one) euẽ to Dan.

31.Alſo he made an ⁿ houſe of hye places, and made Prieſts of the loweſt of the people, which were not of the ſonnes of Leuí.

32.And Ieroboám made a feaſt the ^o fiftẽth day of the eight moneth, lyke vnto yͤ feaſt that is in Iudáh, and offred on the altar. So did he in Beth-él and offred vnto the calues that he had made: and he placed in Beth-él the Prieſts of the hie places, which he had made.

33.And he offred vpon the altar, which he had made in Beth-él, the fiftẽth day of the eight moneth (euen in the moneth which he had forged of his owne heart) & made a ſolẽne feaſt vnto the childrẽ of Iſraél:& he went vp to the altar, to burne incenſe.

1 Kings 12

Notes