1 Kings 12

1 Forsothe Roboam cam in to Sichem; for al Israel was gaderid thidur to make hym kyng.

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem. For in that place, all of Israel had gathered to appoint him as king.

2 `And sotheli Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, whanne he was yit in Egipt, and fledde fro the face of kyng Salomon, turnede ayen fro Egipt, for the deeth of Salomon was herd;

Yet truly, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, while he was still in Egypt as a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned from Egypt.

3 and thei senten, and clepiden hym. Therfor Jeroboam cam, and al the multitude of Israel, and thei spaken to Roboam,

And they sent and called him. Therefore, Jeroboam went, with the entire multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying:

4 and seiden, Thi fadir puttide hardeste yok on vs, therfor abate thou a litil now of the hardest comaundement of thi fadir, and of the greuousiste yok which he puttide on vs, and we schulen serue to thee.

“Your father imposed a very harsh yoke upon us. And so, you should now take away a little from the very harsh rule of your father and from his very grievous yoke, which he imposed upon us, and we will serve you.”

5 Which Roboam seide to hem, Go ye `til to the thridde dai, and turne ye ayen to me.

And he said to them, “Go away, until the third day, and then return to me.” And when the people had gone away,

6 And whanne the puple hadde go, kyng Roboam took counsel with the eldere men, that stoden bifor Salomon, his fadir, while he lyuyde yit; and Roboam seide, What counsel yyue ye to me, that Y answere to the puple?

king Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had assisted before his father Solomon while he was still living. And he said, “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people?”

7 Whiche seiden to hym, If thou obeiest to dai to this puple, and seruest this puple, and yyuest stide to her axyng, and spekist to hem liyte wordis, thei schulen be seruauntis to thee in alle daies.

They said to him, “If today you will obey and serve this people, and yield to their petition, and if you will speak lenient words to them, they will be your servants for all days.”

8 Which Roboam forsook the counsel of elde men, which thei yauen to hym, and took yonge men, that weren nurschid with hym, and stoden nyy him;

But he abandoned the counsel of the old men, which they had given to him. And he consulted the young men who had been raised with him, and who were assisting him.

9 and he seide to hem, What counsel yyue ye to me, that Y answere to this puple, that seiden to me, Make thou esyere the yok which thi fadir puttide on vs?

And he said to them: “What counsel do you give to me, so that I may respond to this people, who have said to me: ‘Make light the yoke that your father imposed on us?’”

10 And the yonge men, that weren nurschid with hym, seiden to hym, Thus speke thou to this puple, that spaken to thee, and seiden, Thi fadir made greuouse oure yok, releeue thou vs; thus thou schalt speke to hem, My leest fyngur is grettere than the bak of my fader;

And the young men who had been raised with him, said: “You shall speak in this way to this people, who have spoken to you, saying: ‘Your father weighed down our yoke. You should relieve us.’ You shall say this to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.

11 and now my fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, forsothe Y schal adde on youre yok; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.

And now, my father placed a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add more upon your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.’”

12 Therfor Jeroboam, and al the puple, cam to Roboam, in the thridde dai, as the kyng spak, seiynge, Turne ye ayen to me in the thridde dai.

Therefore, Jeroboam and all the people went to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had spoken, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”

13 And the kyng answeride harde thingis to the puple, while the counsel of eldere men was forsakun, which thei hadden youe to hym;

And the king responded to the people harshly, leaving behind the counsel of the elders that they had given to him.

14 and he spak to hem bi the counsel of yonge men, and seide, My fadir made greuouse youre yok, forsothe Y schal adde to youre yok; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.

And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: “My father weighed down your yoke, but I will add more to your yoke. My father cut you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.”

15 And the kyng assentide not to the puple, for the Lord hadde turned awey, `ether hadde wlatid hym, that the Lord schulde reise his word, which he hadde spoke in the hond of Ahias of Silo to Jeroboam, sone of Nabath.

And the king did not acquiesce to the people. For the Lord had turned him away, so that he might raise up his word, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.

16 Therfor the puple siy, that the kyng nolde here hem; and the puple answeride to the kyng, and seide, What part is to vs in Dauid, ether what eritage in the sone of Ysay? Israel, turne thou ayen in to thi tabernaclis; now, Dauid, se thou thin hows. And Israel yede in to hise tabernaclis.

And so the people, seeing that the king had not been willing to listen to them, responded to him, saying: “What part do we have in David? Or what inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Go to your own tents, O Israel. Now David, see to your own house.” And Israel went away to their own tents.

17 Forsothe Roboam regnede on the sones of Israel, whiche euere dwelliden in the citees of Juda.

But over all the sons of Israel who were living in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned.

18 Therfore kyng Roboam sente Adhuram, that was on the tributis; and al the puple of Israel stonyde hym, and he was deed.

Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute. And all of Israel stoned him, and he died. Therefore, king Rehoboam hurrying, climbed into the chariot, and fled to Jerusalem.

19 Forsothe kyng Roboam stiede hastili on the chare, and fledde in to Jerusalem; and Israel departide fro the hows of Dauid, til in to present dai.

And Israel drew away from the house of David, even to the present day.

20 Forsothe it was doon, whanne al Israel hadde herd that Jeroboam turnede ayen, thei senten, and clepiden hym, whanne the cumpany was gaderid togidere, and thei maden hym kyng on al Israel; and no man suede the hows of Dauid, outakun the lynage aloone of Juda.

And it happened that, when all of Israel had heard that Jeroboam had returned, gathering an assembly, they sent and called him, and they appointed him as king over all of Israel. And no one followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah alone.

21 Forsothe Roboam cam to Jerusalem, and gaderide al the hows of Juda, and the lynage of Beniamyn, an hundrid and fourescore thousynde of chosun men and weriours, that thei schulden fiyte ayens the hows of Israel, and schulden brynge ayen the rewme to Roboam, sone of Solomon.

Then Rehoboam went to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the entire house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand elect men of war, so that they might fight against the house of Israel, and might bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

22 Forsothe the word of God was made to Semeia, the man of God, and seide,

But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying:

23 Speke thou to Roboam, sone of Salomon, the kyng of Juda, and to al the hows of Juda and of Beniamyn, and to the residue of the puple, and seie thou, The Lord seith thes thingis,

“Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah, and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

24 Ye schulen not stie, nether ye schulen fiyte ayens youre britheren, the sones of Israel; `a man turne ayen in to his hows, for this word is doon of me. Thei herden the word of the Lord, and thei turneden ayen fro the iurney, as the Lord comaundide to hem.

‘Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not make war against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let each man return to his own house. For this word came from me.’” And they listened to the word of the Lord, and they returned from the journey, as the Lord had instructed them.

25 Forsothe Jeroboam bildide Sichem, in the hil of Effraym, and dwellide there; and he yede out fro thennus, and bildide Phanuel.

Then Jeroboam built up Shechem, on mount Ephraim, and he lived there. And departing from there, he built up Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam seide in his herte, Now the rewme schal turne ayen to the hows of Dauid,

And Jeroboam said in his heart: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David,

27 if this puple stieth to Jerusalem, that it make sacrifices in the hows of the Lord in Jerusalem; and the herte of this puple schal turne to her lord, Roboam, kyng of Juda; and thei schulen sle me, and schulen turne ayen to hym.

if this people ascend to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. And the heart of this people will be converted to their lord Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and they will put me to death, and return to him.”

28 And by counsel thouyt out, he made tweyne goldun caluys, and seide to hem, Nyle ye stie more in to Jerusalem; Israel, lo! thi goddis, that ledden thee out of the lond of Egipt.

And devising a plan, he made two golden calves. And he said to them: “No longer choose to ascend to Jerusalem. Behold, these are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt!”

29 And he settide oon in Bethel, and the tother in Dan.

And he stationed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

30 And this word was maad to Israel in to synne; for the puple yede til in to Dan, to worschipe the calf.

And this word became an occasion of sin. For the people went to adore the calf, even to Dan.

31 And Jeroboam made templis in hiye placis, and `he made preestis of the laste men of the puple, that weren not of the sones of Leuy.

And he made shrines on the high places, and he made priests out of the lowest people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And he ordeynede a solempne dai in the eiythe monethe, in the fiftenthe dai of the monethe, bi the licnesse of solempnyte which was halewid in Juda. And he stiede, and made in lijk maner an auter in Bethel, that he schulde offre to the calues, whiche he hadde maad; and he ordeynede in Bethel preestis of the hiye places, whiche he hadde maad.

And he appointed a solemn day in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in imitation of the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah. And ascending to the altar, he acted similarly in Bethel, so that he immolated to the calves, which he had made. And in Bethel, he appointed priests of the high places, which he had made.

33 And he styede on the auter, which he hadde bildid in Bethel, in the fiftenthe day of the eiythe monethe, which he hadde feyned of his herte; and he made solempnyte to the sones of Israel, and he stiede on the auter, that he schulde brenne encence.

And he ascended to the altar, which he had raised up in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the day that he had decided in his own heart. And he made a solemnity to the sons of Israel, and he ascended to the altar, so that he might burn incense.