2 Chronicles 10
1 All the people of Israel went to Shechem [city] in order to appoint Rehoboam to be their king. So Rehoboam also went there.
Forsothe Roboam yede forth in to Sichem; for al Israel came togidere thidur to make hym kyng.
2 Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had fled to Egypt [to escape] from King Solomon. But when he heard [about the people wanting to appoint Rehoboam to be their king], he returned [to Israel] from Egypt
And whanne Jeroboam, the sone of Nabath, that was in Egipt, `for he fledde thidur bifor Salomon, hadde herd this, he turnyde ayen anoon.
3 So the [leaders of the northern tribes] summoned him, and he went with them [to talk] to Rehoboam. They said to Rehoboam,
And thei clepiden hym, and he cam with al Israel, and thei spaken to Roboam, and seiden,
4 “Your father [Solomon] forced us to work very hard for him. If you do not force us to work that hard, and if you charge us less taxes than we were paying to him, we will serve you [faithfully].”
Thi fadir oppresside vs with ful hard yok; comaunde thou liytere thingis than thi fader, that settide on vs a greuouse seruage; and releese thou a litil of `the birthun, that we serue thee. And he seide,
5 He replied, “Come back three days from now [and I will give you my answer].” So those leaders [and Jeroboam] left.
After thre daies turne ye ayen to me. And whanne the puple was goon, he took counsel with elde men,
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted his older men who had advised his father Solomon while he was still alive. He asked them, “What shall I say to answer these men?”
that stoden bifor his fadir Salomon, while he lyuyde yit, and seide, What counsel yyuen ye, that Y answere to the puple?
7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and do things that will please them, and if you say kind things to them when you answer them, they will always serve you.”
And thei seiden to hym, If thou plesist this puple, and makist hem softe bi meke wordis, thei schulen serue thee in al tyme.
8 But he ignored what the older men advised him to do. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him, who were now his advisors.
And he forsook the counsel of elde men, and bigan to trete with yonge men, that weren nurischid with hym, and weren in his cumpenye.
9 He said to them, “How should I answer the men who are asking me to reduce the [work and taxes] that my father required from them?”
And he seide to hem, What semeth to you? ether what owe Y answere to this puple, that seide to me, Releese thou the yok, which thi fadir puttide on vs?
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “[Those men] have said that your father forced them to work very hard for him, so they want you to reduce the [work and taxes] that your father required from them. But this is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
And thei answeriden, as yonge men and nurschyd with hym in delicis, and seiden, Thus thou schalt speke to the puple that seide to thee, Thi fadir made greuouse oure yok, releese thou; and thus thou schalt answere to hem, My leeste fyngur is gretter than the leendis of my fader;
11 What I mean is that my father required you to [work hard and pay high taxes]. But I will make those loads heavier. [It was as though] my father whipped you, but I will whip you with whips that have pieces of metal in them.’”
my fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, and Y schal leie to a gretter birthun; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with `scorpiouns, that is, hard knottid roopis.
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and all the leaders came to King Rehoboam again, which is what he had told them to do.
Therfor Jeroboam and al the puple cam to Roboam in the thridde dai, as he hadde comaundid to hem.
13 The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israeli leaders.
And `the kyng answeride harde thingis, after that he hadde forsake the counsel of the eldere men,
14 [He told them what the younger men had advised.] He said, “My father put heavy burdens [of work and taxes] on you, but I will put heavier burdens on you. [It was as though] he beat you with whips, but I will beat you with whips that have pieces of metal in them!”
and he spak bi the wille of the yonge men, My fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, which Y schal make greuousere; my fadir beet you with scourgis, sotheli Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.
15 So the king did not pay any attention to the Israeli leaders. But this happened in order that what Yahweh had told the prophet Ahijah about Jeroboam would happen.
And he assentide not to the preieris of the puple; for it was the wille of God, that his word schulde be fillid, which he hadde spoke bi the hond of Ahie of Silo to Jeroboam, sone of Nabath.
16 When the Israeli leaders realized that the king did not pay any attention to what they said, they shouted, “We do not want anything to do with this descendant of King David! We will not pay attention to what this grandson of Jesse says! You people of Israel, let’s go home! As for this descendant of David, he can rule his own kingdom!” So the Israeli leaders returned to their homes.
Sotheli whanne the kyng seide hardere thingis, al the puple spak thus to hym, No part is to vs in Dauid, nether eritage in the sone of Isai; Israel, turne thou ayen in to thi tabernaclis, sotheli thou, Dauid, feede thin hows. And Israel yede in to hise tabernaclis.
17 And [after that, the only Israeli] people whom Rehoboam ruled over were those who lived in the territory of [the tribes of] Judah [and Benjamin].
Forsothe Roboam regnede on the sones of Israel, that dwelliden in the citees of Juda.
18 Then King Rehoboam went with Adoniram [to talk to the Israeli people]. Adoniram was the man who supervised [all the men who were] forced to work [for Rehoboam]. But the Israeli people killed him by throwing stones at him. When that happened, King Rehoboam quickly got in his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
And kyng Roboam sente Adhuram, that was souereyn ouer the tributis; and the sones of Israel stonyden hym, and he was deed. Certis kyng Roboam hastide to stie in to the chare, and fledde in to Jerusalem.
19 Ever since that time, [the people of the northern tribes of] Israel have been rebelling against the descendants of [King] David.
And Israel yede awei fro the hows of Dauid `til to this dai. Forsothe it was doon, whanne al Israel hadde herd, that Jeroboam turnede ayen, thei senten, and clepiden hym, whanne the cumpeny was gaderid, and thei ordeyneden him king on al Israel; and no man, outakun the lynage of Juda aloone, suede `the hows of Dauid.
