¶ And Rehoboam went to Sichem: for all Israel were come to Sichem to make him king.
And when Rehoboam the son of Nabat heard of it being yet in Egypt: for he fled to Egypt for fear of Salomon, and dwelt in Egypt.
And they sent and called him: and so Ieroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spake unto Rehoboam saying:
thy father made our yoke grievous, but now make thou the grievous service of thy father and his sore yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and so we will serve thee.
And he said unto them: depart yet for the space of three days, and then come again to me. And the people departed.
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that stood before Salomon his father, while he yet lived, and said: what counsel give ye to answer this people withal?
And they said unto him: If thou shalt be a servant unto this people this day and serve them and answer them and speak kind words to them: they will be thy servants for ever.
But he left the counsel that the old men had given him, and counselled with the young men that were nourished up with him and had waited on him.
And he said unto them: what counsel give ye, to answer this people withal which have communed with me saying: make the yoke which thy father did put upon us, lighter?
And the young men that were brought up with him, answered him saying, this people that have said unto thee: thy father made our yoke heavy, make thou it us lighter: thus answer them. My little finger shall be weightier than my father's loins.
And now where my father put a grievous yoke upon you, I will make it heavier. For where my father corrected you with scourges, I will chastise you with scorpions.
And when Ieroboam: and all the people were come to Rehoboam the third day, as the king appointed them, saying, come to me again this day three days:
the king answered the people churlishly and left the advice that old men gave him:
and spake to them after the counsel of the young men saying. My father made your yoke grievous, but I will make it grievouser. For where my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions.
And so the king hearkened not unto the people: for the turning away was of the LORD, to perform his saying, which the LORD said by Ahiah the Silonite unto Ieroboam the son of Nabat.
¶ And when all Israel saw that the king regarded them not, the people answered the king again saying: we have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. To your tents therefore Israel, and now see to thine own house David. And so Israel departed unto their tents.
How be it over the children of Israel which dwelt in the city of Iuda, did Rehoboam reign still.
Then king Rehoboam sent Aduram the receiver of the tribute. And all Israel stoned him to death with stones. But king Rehoboam made speed and gat him up to his chariot and fled to Ierusalem.
And so Israel departed from the house of David unto this day.
And when all Israel heard that Ieroboam was come again, they sent and called him unto the congregation and made him king over Israel: so there followed the house of David, but the tribe of Iuda onely.
And when Rehoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathered all the house of Iuda and the tribe of Ben Iamin an hundredth and four score thousands of chosen men and good warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Salomon.
Then came the word of the Lorde unto Semeiah the man of God saying:
speak unto Rehoboam the son of Salomon king of Iuda, and unto all the house of Iuda and Benjamin, and the remnant of the people and say.
Thus sayeth the LORD: go not nor yet fight against your brethren the children of Israel, but return every man to his house, for this doing is of the LORD. And they obeyed the word of the LORD and returned and departed according to the word of the LORD.
¶ Then Ieroboam built Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein. And went from thence and built Phanuel.
And Ieroboam thought in his heart: now might the kingdom return to the house of David again.
For if this people shall go up and do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Ierusalem, then shall their hearts turn again unto their lord Rehoboam king of Iuda. And so shall they kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Iuda.
Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold and said unto the people: ye shall not need to go any more to Ierusalem. Behold your gods Israel which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
And he put the one in Bethel and the other in Dan.
And that doing was a cause of sin. And the people went before the one as far as Dan.
And he made houses of hill altars, and made of the lowest of the people priests which were not of the sons of Levi.
And Ieroboam made a feast the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like unto the feast that was in Iuda, and offered on the altar. And so did he in Bethel, to offer unto the calves that he had made. And he put in Bethel the priests of the hillaltars, which he had made.
And he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel, the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had imagined of his own heart: and made a solempne feast unto the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn sacrifice.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.