But he forsoke the counsayie that the olde men had gyuen hym, & called vnto his coun∣sayle yonge men, that were growen vp with hym, and wayted on hym. And he sayd vnto them: what counsayle gyue ye, that we maye answere this people? for they haue commu∣ned with me, sayenge: make the yoke whiche thy father dyd put vpon vs, lyghter? And the yonge men that were growen vp with hym, spake vnto hym, sayenge: Thus shalte thou [unspec C] speake vnto this people (that haue sayd vnto the: thy father made our yoke heuy, but make thou it vs lyghter.) Euen thus shalte thou say vnto them: ❀ My lytell fynger shall be weyghtyer, thē my father was in the loyues. And nowe where as my father dyd lade you & put a greuous yoke vpon you, I wyl make it heuyer: my father also corrected you with scourges, but I wyll chastyse you wt ☞ scor∣pions. And so Ieroboam and all the people came to Behoboam the thyrde daye, as the kynge had appoynted, sayenge: Come to me agayne the thyrde day. And the kyng answe∣red the people churlysshly, and lefte the olde mens counsayle (that they gaue hym) and spake to them after the coūsayle of the yonge men, saynge. My father made your yoke gre¦uous, [unspec D] and I wyll make it greuouser: My fa∣ther also chastysed you with whyppes, but I wyl chastyse you wt scorpions. And the kyng herkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordenaunce of god, that he myght performe his sayenge, whiche the lorde spake by Ahia the Silonite vnto Ieroboam, the sonne of Nebat. And so when Israell sawe, that the kynge regarded them not, the people answe∣red the kynge with these wordes, saynge: What procyon haue we in Dauid? we haue no enheritaunce in the sonne of Isai. To your tentes, O Israel, now se to thyne owne house Dauid. And so Israell departed vnto theyr tentes. Howbeit, ouer the chyldren of Israel which dwelte in the citye of Iuda, dyd Rehoboam reygne styll. Then kynge Reho∣boam sent Adurā the receyuer of the tribute. And all they of Israel stoned hym to deathe. But kyng Rehoboam made spede to get him vp to his charet, and to flee to Ierusalem.
And they of Israell rebelled agaynst the [unspec E] house of Dauid, vnto this day. And when al Israell herde that Ieroboam was come a∣gayne they sent and called hym vnto the mul¦titude, and made hym kynge ouer all Israel: & there was no tribe that folowed the house of Dauid, but Iuda onely. And when Re∣hoboam was come to Ierusalem, he gathe∣red all the house of Iuda, with the tribe of Beniamin an hundred and foure score thou∣sande of chosen men (whiche were good war∣ryours) to fyght agaynst the house of Israel And to brynge the kyngdome agayne to Re∣hoboam the sonne of Salomon.
And the worde of God came vnto Sema••a the man of God: saynge: Speake vnto Reho¦boam [unspec F] the sonne of Salomon kyng of Iuda and vnto all the house of Iuda and Benia∣min, and to the remenaunt of the peple, say∣enge: Thus sayth the Lorde. Ye shall not go vp, nor yet fyght agaynst your brethren the chyldren of Israel, returne euery man to his house, for this thyng is my doyng. They her∣kened therfore to the worde of the Lorde, and returned to departe, accordynge to the worde of the Lorde. Then Ieroboā buylte Sichem in mount Ephraim, and dwelte therin. And went from thence, and buylte Penuel.
And Ieroboam thought in his herte: nowe shall the kyngdome returne to the house of Dauid. For yf this people go vp, and do sa∣crifice in the house of the lorde at Ierusalem, thē shal the herte of this people turne agayn vnto theyr lorde Rehoboam kynge of Iuda: And so shall they kyll me, and go agayne to Rehoboam kyng of Iuda. Whervpon the kyng toke counsayle, and made two calues of golde, and sayde vnto them. It is moche for you to go vp to Ierusalem.
Beholde, O Israel: these are thy godd{is} [unspec G] which brought you out of the land of Egipte And he set the one in Bethel, & the other set he in Dan. And this thyng turned to synne: for the people went (bycause of the one) as farre as Dan. And he made an house of hyll aul∣ters, and made preestes of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sonnes of Leui. Ieroboā made a feast the. xv. day of the. viii. moneth, lyke vnto the feast that is in Iuda, & offered on the aulter. And so dyd he in Be∣thel, to offre vnto the calues that he had made And he put in Bethel the preestes of the hyll aulters, whiche he had made. And he offered burnt offerynges vpon the aulter, whiche he had made in Bethel the. xv. daye of the. viii. moneth: euen in the Moneth whiche he had ymagened of his owne herte: and made a so¦lempne feast vnto the chyldren of Israel, and offered vpon the aulter, and burnt insence.