1 Kings 12

¹ 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? ² 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. ³ 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; ⁴ 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? ⁵ 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; ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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. ⁸ And the kyng answeride harde thingis to the puple, while the counsel of eldere men was forsakun, which thei hadden youe to hym; ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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. 11 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. 12 Forsothe Roboam regnede on the sones of Israel, whiche euere dwelliden in the citees of Juda. 13 Therfore kyng Roboam sente Adhuram, that was on the tributis; and al the puple of Israel stonyde hym, and he was deed. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 Forsothe the word of God was made to Semeia, the man of God, and seide, 18 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, 19 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. ²⁰ Forsothe Jeroboam bildide Sichem, in the hil of Effraym, and dwellide there; and he yede out fro thennus, and bildide Phanuel. ²¹ And Jeroboam seide in his herte, Now the rewme schal turne ayen to the hows of Dauid, ²² 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. ²³ 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. ²⁴ And he settide oon in Bethel, and the tother in Dan. ²⁵ And this word was maad to Israel in to synne; for the puple yede til in to Dan, to worschipe the calf. ²⁶ 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. 27 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. 28 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. 30 And lo! a man of God cam fro Juda, bi the word of the Lord, in to Bethel, while Jeroboam stood on the auter, and castide encence. ³¹ And the man of God criede ayens the auter, bi the word of the Lord, and seide, Auter! auter! the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! a sone, Josias by name, shal be borun to the hows of Dauid; and he schal offre on thee the preestis of hiye thingis, that brennen now encensis yn thee, and he schal brenne the bonys of men on thee. 32 And he yaf a signe in that dai, and seide, This schal be the signe that the Lord spak, Lo! the auter schal be kit, and the aische which is there ynne, schal be sched out. ³³ And whanne the kyng hadde herd the word of the man of God, which word he hadde cried ayens the auter in Bethel, the kyng helde forth his hond fro the auter, and seide, Take ye hym. And his hond driede, which he hadde holde forth, and he myyte not drawe it ayen to hym silf.